Digital media. E-readers, Kindles, iPads. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime. Project Gutenberg, Amazon.com, iTunes. These are just some examples of where you can find digital media. Maybe you are a book worm, couch potato or a music junkie. All the above mentioned can help you get your fix...digitally. There are many nostalgic individuals who believe these mediums are detrimental. My opinion is that those who find these modern forms of media to be detrimental are simply afraid of change.

Take for example e-readers and free book downloads. If you have ever perused the free books that are available, you will notice there are often time classic novels on the list. Think of the teenage avid reader with a smartphone, tablet or e-reader. Most of them don't have unlimited funds for books. Enter the mecca of free books offered by Project Gutenberg. Readers can find millions of books to read for free. Many readers are discovering classics they might not otherwise have read if they had to pay for it. Or, older readers can reread classic books and find the magic in them all over again. It's not just classics, it's new authors offering free e-books to have readers discover their work. I have found many new authors this way, by simply taking a chance on a book or new author simply because it was free.

This isn't just limited to books either. Take TV for example. Netflix and its competitors are resurrecting old shows and movies as well as taking newer shows off the charts in popularity. Take Breaking Bad for example. Show creator Vince Gilligan credits Netflix with its success. Vince is quoted has saying "I don't think our show would have even lasted beyond season 2 if not for streaming video on demand". These days if you didn't start watching the latest hit show with its first episode in the first season, you can catch up in a weekend if you choose by watching it digitally via Netflix, Hulu, etc. Trust me, we have done it with shows like The Walking Dead, Downtown Abbey and most recently Sons of Anarchy.

The digital media movement has found great success by utilizing apps on varying platforms. You can read Kindle books on your smartphone via the Kindle App. You can also stream your satellite or cable service via Slingbox or your local provider's app.

How do you utilize digital media? Have you ever spent a whole weekend so enthralled by a new show that you watched 3 seasons without blinking an eye? Have you rediscovered a classic novel or introduced one to a younger reader? What app or website is your favorite to get your media fix? I am always looking for something new, share with me a new book or show or movie. It is winter, after all, that means I will spend more time hibernating inside curled up with a book on my iPad Air or watching something with my family. Point me to something new!