The Show-Stopper for the Kindle, Nook, and iPad

An increasing number of consumers now download and read books on electronic devices, such as the popular Kindle by Amazon, the Nook from Barnes and Noble, or the iPad from Apple.

As you survey my blog posts, I have long been an opponent of these devices.  I have previously argued why traditional books should be the way to go.  I will not repeat those arguments here – they are readily available in our archives.

I think the “show-stopper” will be the investigation and results that come from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of the Federal Government.  This watchdog association is notorious for its detailed and long-lasting impact on products that put consumers at risk.

My prediction is that tests will continue to reveal a negative impact on consumer exposure to these devices.  An increasing number of reports available on the internet now reveal questions about the effects from reading text with these devices, including eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and short and long-term vision loss. 

To be fair, there are also a number of reports that call these claims “silly,” and there are also available posts that show consumers how to adjust the backlight and contrast in order to make the exposure more suitable for the individual.

All of this is fine, but the reports have brought enough attention where we will see serious, not anecdotal investigations into the effect of these products.   You can regularly see recalls of products that the CPSC has deemed unsafe.  Their decisions have brought dozens of manufactured products to their knees.

Will the CPSC be bold enough to go forward to apply the standards for safety that they have long used to these electronic devices for reading?  What will the scientific investigations reveal?  And, regardless of the findings, will enough consumers be scared, and return to the purchase of traditional books?  I believe that this will happen.  One credible report, with one major recall, that is announced with enough publicity, will be enough to significantly debilitate consumer acceptance of these devices.

In the meantime, what is your own tolerance level for risk?  Reports from both sides are available on the internet.  Who and what do you want to believe? 

Let’s talk about it really soon!