Negative Aspects of Kindle and Kindle DX

According to news reports, Amazon is unveiling the newest version of Kindle product, Kindle DX. Since its original release, Kindle has been promoted as a revolutionary reading and writing device. Comparing to the older model, Kindle 2, Kindle DX does show certain improvements. At least its viewing screen size has been increased from five some inches to 9.7 inches, not mentioning other state of the art software or functionality features.

It is also strikingly in the news that Amazon is signing agreements with a large number of schools including K-12 school districts, in an attempt to move Kindle DX into the kid's classrooms. Kindle's ultimate goal appears to be competing with traditional textbooks in papers. Do you think this is a good move? No. At least not all that great. There are several apparent negative aspects for kids and youngsters to use Kindle DX, an electronic reading and writing device.

Kindle DX could potential train kids for bad reading and writing habits

Since the invention of paper, paper textbooks have been used in all classrooms on the earth. Flipping between pages of a textbook is in fact a natural training of coordination between brain and hands. A good reading habit is established right in such a enjoyable process. Any electronic reading device such as Kindle DX will to certain extent deprive kid's enjoyment of reading, which could consequently train kids for bad reading habits.

On the other hand, using electronic writing devices at early ages will eventually make kids stay away from handwriting. Nevertheless, the importance of handwriting can never be emphasized enough. Since computer became a part of human's life, many adults have trended to have hard time to write even a simple letter without asking for help from computers. It's hard to deny this is a unfortunate deterioration in the progression of human being. Should our kids give up pens before knowing how to write properly? Definitely not. Traditional reading and writing are unique cultures of the human society. We should never abandon them.

Kindle DX could impose potential risks to kid's health

It is a common sense that watching TV for an extended time is a bad habit for children as the images coming out of a display screen could impose potential health risks to their eyes. How can Kindle DX avoid such risks considering its improved screen is still by far smaller than a TV? In addition, any electronic devices more or less send electromagnetic emissions which could impose potential hazards to human bodies. How can Kindle DX eliminate such risks when every kid has to hold one during the entire school time?  There are no apparent answers to these reasonable and particle questions.

Kindle DX does not have all functions of a traditional textbook

Kindle DX might be a fairly convenient reading writing device, but it doesn't have all important functions of a traditional paper textbook. Most paper textbooks contain colorful charts and diagrams, creating vivid illustrations for easy comprehension. Kindle DX appears yet to have such a function. On the other hand, kid's can easily write short notes and remarks in textbooks for later review, which seems difficult to achieve with a Kindle DX.

Therefore, replacing traditional textbooks with Kindle DX is a long shot, a very long shot, at least in the foreseeable future.