I primarily use e-readers for reading pop fiction. I'm not bothered by their lack of physicality or impermanence for the same reason I don't have a problem with the impermanence of broadcast television; it's mass-market content meant to be enjoyed and forgotten.
Thanks! One small part of the great mystery of the human condition, resolved. ;)
If you view a book as a one time use, disposable good, it's not hard. That sounds far more disrespectful than I mean it, but if you're the type of reader that's reading many things for pleasure (possibly multiple books a week) and will likely only read them once, they become more like I might view a TV show: something I want to consume conveniently and not necessarily catalog permanently. In that case, eBooks are great.
I wonder what it is about the folks who are able to "get into" eBooks. Logically, I know all the value props -- great for travel and general minimalism, easy to highlight and search highlights, better for the environment, etc, etc -- but, for whatever reason, I just can't get my brain to do the thing.
On balance, I think I'm okay with it. I spend an enormous portion of my real-estate budget on books, and, frankly... what else would I spend it on? That's one of the key things that it's for, if you ask me.