For centuries in Japan, people have used a signature seal or stamp instead of a written signature. The signature seal or inkan could be forged, perhaps more easily than a handwritten signature, but it is accepted by banks and other businesses as a legal sign of agreement. The Personal Identification Number of PIN is already accepted as a form of personal agreement to many transactions, such as access to confidential information and making cash transactions. It seems inevitable that a great deal of printed matter will soon be a thing of the past. Not many families buy printed encyclopedias any more.
Many universities provide full sets of notes online, and use online assessment systems.
As a confirmed book lover, I cannot see myself losing my desire for reading both fiction and non-fiction in bed, but I can see that many of my contemporaries have lost that need already. Used under License.