DON'T make this mistake with your kindle/kobo 😭

I bought a Kindle in December 2021 and for a long while, it was my favourite little gadget. However, I stopped using it for a while (maybe 8-10 months?) because I was too busy with other things and didn't have the time to read. When I finally picked it back up, I was shocked to see that the screen had faded, and it just wasn’t like it used to be 😭 At first, I noticed the words at the edges were a bit faded, but then even the background started losing its sharpness. On a blank page, I could even see the ghost of words from the previous page. It was such a bummer – especially seeing those faint letters in between the lines of my book 😩

Did a quick research on what caused it and I learnt this...

Apparently, e-readers like Kindle or Kobo use something called E Ink technology where the screen mimics paper by moving tiny capsules of ink around. These capsules stay in place thanks to a little electrical charge. The problem is, if you don’t use your device for months (oops, guilty), that charge weakens over time, and the ink shifts, causing the screen to lose its crispness. Environmental factors like heat and humidity can also mess with the screen.

~ TL;DR: If you don’t use your e-reader for a while, the ink fades. The charge holding the ink weakens, and the screen gets all ghosty ~

~ Disclaimer: I'm not saying all e-readers will go through this. When I researched some said they didn't have issues too... so maybe I'm just an unlucky one LOL ~

I was SO sad seeing my ebook like that 😭😭 I know that from the pictures, it doesn't look too bad because it is still readable... but it is honestly still quite straining on the eye and it just doesn't feel the same anymore 😢

I did everything I could to try to save it like a factory reset and even tried putting it in freezer (yes, that’s a thing people recommended online LOL). To be honest, IT WORKED but only for like a couple of minutes after taking it out oh well :')

If you own an e-reader, please learn from my mistake!! Turn it on, use it, fiddle with it... even if you’re not reading it.

For now, I am still making do with my kindle, but I am seriously considering switching to a kobo... Nothing related to this incident but I think Kobo has some extra perks like borrowing books from NLB!! I'm taking my time to learn more about the different models so I won't make an impulse decision too hehe (currently deciding between the Kobo Clara BW or Kobo Clara Colour. I LOVE the design of the Libra 2 but sadly it isn't in production anymore). Do share with me your thoughts or reviews if you have any :')