Kindling interest in the Kindle

Nussbaum asserts that the Kindle, Amazon's new medium for reading, is especially loved by Boomers. I have to agree with him from what limited discussion I've had regarding the Kindle; my father and his friends seem to be very intrigued by the device, yet my friends look down upon it. This fact is somewhat counter-intuitive. One would think that younger readers would more readily embrace the new technology, while older generations would prefer traditional books. Nussbaum writes,

Boomers read and the Kindle satisfies this desire. It’s a platform that is light, small, easy to use and better than carrying around heavy books (remember, pain is a constant, especially in the hands, from 55-onward).

I think the weight is a huge factor in the Kindle's popularity. My dad, who travels often for work, cites the fact that he could bring multiple books with him on one device as the main reason for wanting one. The question is: why do Gen-Y'ers not want the device? Is it because, more and more, we read different things (i.e. blogs, social networking sites, and Internet news) instead of books? Is it because we stare at a screen all day long and want to rest our eyes when it comes time to read a book? It's an interesting question and one worth exploring. Further, I wonder how Amazon is pursuing marketing the Kindle and whether Boomers have been their target in marketing efforts.