That's a false dichotomy. If you can't afford a cheap phone these days you likely can't afford five books a year anyway.
Guess what libraries provide? Free book and computer access. Nothing changes.
Guess what libraries provide? Free book and computer access. Nothing changes.
Paper is an amazing medium for transmitting information: cheap, battery-free, easily copied or lended, transferable, DRM-free, non-proprietary, no monthly subscription needed...
Now books, easily copied?
When's the last time you tried to share a copy of a book with a friend? Or did you buy a blank and copy it by hand? While that's a laudable example of dedication it's not exactly easy nor convenient.
Cheapness is likewise debatable, printing out a 300-pages book is fairly expensive.
Most other concerns are concerns only if you use broken-by-design sources.