As a kid I fell in love with reading. Whether it was a magazine, newspaper or a paper book, I was getting information and entertainment. As I learned to use the Internet, I started reading more things online. But I’ve learned that if I don’t have a book in my hands, I’ll lose the excitement that comes with clutching a bound book with those magical words that take me to a new world.

I have this book app called Wattpad. It’s a free online app, where I can read and write stories. I love it, but not as much as a book I can hold on my hands. Online books are good for me if I don’t have a copy of a normal one, but with an electronic book or newspaper I can’t smell the new book or feel the thin paper on my fingers. What can I say? A bookworm will stay a bookworm.

E-book sales have increased dramatically over the last decade. Statista.com, a statistics website, found that Americans bought .27 billion e-books in 2008. Three years later, it was 2.31 billion in e-book sales. It’s expected to quadruple to 8.69 billion in 2018.

And while these numbers are staggers, I can’t get behind them. Don’t get me wrong, the Internet is wonderful for emailing and working on projects, but books? Not so much. I can’t read on my phone for a long period of time because I feel dizzy and get a headache. I get headaches from reading online for a long period of time, how I will be able to ready multiple chapters for a book project or just read for fun? The Internet will ruin my love of reading and that is one love I don’t want to throw away.

Another issues is staring at a screen for a long time is damaging to your eyesight. My grandmother likes to read on her Kindle, but at times I notice her reading a normal book. She tells me how much she loves feeling the comforting paper instead of the cold metal of her Kindle.

Other people clearly agree with the feeling of paper on their hands too. When I walk in a local bookstore, people are spread around the building, picking up magazines, choosing books, sitting in chairs reading.

If people are so into reading books without having to stare at a bright screen, let’s embrace their love of books. I might occasionally use my phone or a computer to read a book or a story, but I’m much happier to snuggle up with the real thing.