Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Last week when I checked out an IPad from the MU Journalism School I realized that I was carrying four Apple products around with me. It all started several years ago with an iPod. Then a MacBook Pro for school. Then I bought an iPhone. And now the iPad.

It’s no secret that MU journalism students are often walking Apple advertisements like I have obviously become. And this seemed a bit silly to me, but what really bothered me was when I realized that these four devices weren’t even enough electronics to get me through the day. In reality, I’m an ad for all kinds of electronics.

I’m not even going to pretend to be the most tech savvy person I know, because I’m far from it. But even as a person who still gets confused by how to update my ITunes software (after ignoring the updates for several months) I still own quite a few electronic gadgets.

In addition to my Apple collection I also own a digital voice recorder for interviews, my own personal television and perhaps the most troubling to me: a Kindle Touch.

What troubles me about my Kindle is that I have it, and I’ve used it, but I still can’t decide if I even like it all that much. It is a nice alternative to carrying the weight of 10 books around and I even enjoy reading on the E-Ink screen.

But when I think back to when I wanted one, I think the allure was mostly due to the fact that my generation is almost expected to have technology like this and use it regularly.

The data reflects this expectation as in the past year* e-book sales went up 332.6 percent according to a report published by the Association of American Publishers last May. Print book sales only went up 2.3 percent according to the same report.

When I heard this, I was a bit shocked, but it also made sense. I, myself, had bought an e-book in the past year.

But I wonder where this increase received most of its supporters. The report’s answer was countries outside the U.S., but that was just for the last year.

In general were the e-book patrons mostly in New York? Europe? Or could they be just as prevalent in smaller Midwestern American towns like Columbia Missouri?

Where do you stand? Let us know here, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Are you someone who has been sucked into this new digital reading craze? Or are you sticking to your guns and only reading print?

Or are you someone like me who dances along the line of this new world? I have the gadgets but I find myself alternating between using them and preferring the feel and smell of a good paperback.

*comparing 2011 to 2o1o