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How technology is changing our reading habits

BY READERS DIGEST

29th Jun 2021 Technology

How technology is changing our reading habits

As modern technology permeates virtually every aspect of society, the simple pleasure of reading is no exception.

With such a wide range of platforms and devices available to the everyday reader, the physical book, while not yet extinct, may end up going that way. Continue reading to find out the many different ways in which technology has transformed our reading habits in recent years.

 

Apps and websites

 

There is nothing worse perhaps than realising you have forgotten your favourite book during a long commute. But with a rapid surge in digital reading platforms, this is no longer a common problem for bookworms. There are a number of apps out there designed to streamline the process of reading on the go. You can select a book, track your progress, and even submit reviews. Getting involved with a community of millions of like-minded people can encourage you to read more and for longer. With no need to lug around physical books, readers are much more likely to pick up where they left off whenever and wherever they may be. Books can be downloaded onto your laptop, smartphone, or smart device, making it easier than ever before to get a few pages in on the way to work.

 

Image Source: Pixabay.

 

Hand-held devices

 

As well as digital reading platforms, readers can also carry around their favourite books within an e-reader. Common examples include the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Onyx Boox, and PocketBook. These hand-held devices offer enhanced portability, readability and variety. Some e-readers also allow users to access the internet for a wide range of purposes such as online shopping, sports betting, watching movies, Skyping and social networking. They are much smaller and lighter than physical books making them an ideal option for those always on the go. Most e-readers are also installed with unique display technology to limit the effects of eye strain or screen fatigue on the reader as a result of exposure to ‘blue light’ emissions from the screen.

 

Social media

 

Social media has had a profound effect on our reading habits. It governs our daily lives and has had a dramatic impact on the ways in which we consume text online. With physical books no longer a key form of entertainment for children around the world, it has been replaced with digital alternatives. Social media and video games have replaced the ways in which we traditionally read and tell stories. We are still reading but just in a different way. There are a number of online platforms dedicated to encouraging children to write their stories by establishing their own characters, setting, and plot. As technological advancements continue to infiltrate everything we do, reading is just one of many hobbies that have been digitised in recent years.

 

Education

 

Technology has changed the ways in which we read at home as well as in the classroom. With books, lessons and even degrees delivered online, exposure to the digital potential of reading is introduced at an early age. Virtual learning platforms have also exploded in popularity in recent years with technology in the classroom no longer a luxury but a necessity to keep up with the modern age. Various examples of technology within education include interactive whiteboards, virtual reality headsets, 3D printing, podcasts, laptops, tablets and even coding.

 

The book industry is just one of many to be affected by a surge of technological change and development in recent years. It has had a dramatic impact on the ways in which we read by allowing us to access our favourite books via apps and websites, hand-held devices, social media, and even during those all-important school years.

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