E-Readers: Teaching Us to Read Again

Some people have pronounced that "reading is dead." After all kids are more likely to carry an iPod than a book, and newspapers are shutting down left and right. Deep reading has become lost in a world of text messages, tweets, and shallow combox exchanges and is quickly becoming extinct.

Yet I disagree with those people. I think today, people are reading more than ever. They might not be reading print books and heavy paper tomes, but they are definitely reading blogs, emails, online news, eBooks, and more.

The infographic below reveals some fascinating stats on how e-readers are playing a big role in this shift. I'm not completely convinced that eBooks are the reason for higher rates of reading--correlation doesn't equal causation. But with its portability and cheap cost, e-reading has made it incredibly easy to read more often and in more places.

What do you think? Do you read more or less in the digital age?

(As an aside, how can 20% of Americans not read one book all year? Crazy!)

Created by: www.OnlineTeachingDegree.com

(HT: Book Patrol)

Posted on: July 31, 2012 in Blog, Books
Tagged:

http://www.facebook.com/people/Timothy-Burdick/22402125 Timothy Burdick

I think you are on to something here, Brandon. I'm a 6th grade teacher and pretty much all of my students read using nooks or kindles. While most prefer the pages of a traditional book, they use e-readers because their cheaper. Interestingly enough, I've noticed that because of social media outlets, kids are learning to "skim" very effectively when on a computer. But when those larger than life fictional pieces are in their hands (IE: The Hunger Games) they are all about getting deep into it regardless of whether they are flipping pages or clicking a button.
Cathy A. Dee

Hi Brandon! Reading is more alive and important than ever, for sure. At OSV we embrace all forms -- we love our print books, we're excited by the future of ebooks, and we can't watch to launch a couple new apps next month! --Cathy @ OSV
http://www.jonathanfsullivan.com/ Jonathan F. Sullivan

I'm in agreement that reading isn't as dead as the naysayers think. At the same time I worry that the shift towards reading blog posts, tweets, and texts will disincline the next generation from reading many of the longer-form pieces that make up our spiritual and cultural heritage (think of The City of God or The Brothers Karamazov). The latter requires a very different set of "reading muscles" than the former, muscles that many youth don't flex too often.
http://www.brandonvogt.com/ Brandon Vogt

Great points, all three of you! We're having a deeper discussion on this stuff over on Facebook. I'd love to have your input:

http://www.facebook.com/brandon.w.vogt/posts/254866657964652
http://www.thereligionteacher.com/ Jared Dees

A couple of years ago, I sat in an editorial meeting and announced, "I don't read books!" It wasn't completely true. I had been reading a lot of books for a masters program and I was listening to audiobooks in the car, but I wasn't buying or reading that many books for fun and leisure.

Things are different now (and I'm not just saying that becuase eBooks are my job). Since I started reading books on my iPhone (Kindle app), I've actually finished a book or two per month for fun. You can't beat the convenience of your library in your pocket.

That being said, Jonathan is right. It is hard to resist the quick fix of my Google Reader app always sitting there on my home screen just shouting, "Hey, I have more addicting tech news that is inconsequential to your life and work. Come read me instead!"
http://www.facebook.com/people/Robert-Kraus/100000177360746 Robert Kraus

I'm probably even between paper and e-book reading, only because I was a book worm both pre- and post-Kindle. We bought my in-laws Kindles for Christmas, and my father-in-law, tends to read a lot more.
http://inspiredangela.wordpress.com/ Angela Sealana

One way I see e-readers/Internet impact on reading: Time is more valuable these days. Content has to really grab me as worth my time.

If a book, article, blog, etc is marketed well enough, I'll be more likely to read it. Or, if "everybody's reading it," I may be more likely to read it.
Dan Crofts

I think I would agree with you. The exciting world of technological development does seem to have ameliorated the boredom associated with reading in the minds of many for years. If it gets people reading, that's great.

That said, my personal feeling is that there is nothing like the feel of a good book in your hands. For me, that's as much a part of the reading experience as the story itself. But that's just one man's humble opinion.