Technological evolution has led to the development of electronic sources that are about to replace hardcopy books. The discovery of tablets and e-readers has completely changed the way people read (Mayer 34). The use of reading devices such as iPads and computers has increasingly become very popular among readers and there are no signs of this changing in the near future.
Authors and publishers have been forced to adapt to the new development in order to guarantee their survival in the industry. The development of electronic sources such e-books, blogs, websites and e-journals provides readers with a very rich reading experience because of the interactive nature these kind of sources (Mayer 34).
Technology has transformed reading from just being a passive experience into a very interactive experience where the reader can watch and listen to content apart from reading. Technology has enhanced content by offering a variety of electronic sources (Nord 74). Electronic magazines and books have enhanced content compared to print sources. Technological advancement has a significant impact on reading practices and habits.
Many publishers have changed from the traditional printing of hardcopy books to the more efficient and stylish electronic formats such as e-books, e-journals and other digital publications (Nord 74). Technology has made it possible for book buyers to buy any book they want online without visiting a bookstore. This is a clear indication that many people are willing to embrace the use of technology when it comes to buying and reading books (Nord 74).
The fact that the most popular titles are found in their e-book format means that many readers will have to shift from the traditional hard copy format to the e-book format (Nord 112). Although print books still control almost 80 percent of the book market, the number of e-book sales keeps on growing every year. This is a clear indication that many readers are embracing the use of technology in reading.
Students claim that it is more convenient to use e-books while travelling compared to traditional books because they can easily access content from their digital devices such as laptops, mobile phones and iPads without moving around with large volumes of books (Nord 112).
E-readers allow the multi-tasking and converging of technology which enable the user to access a variety of applications that make the reading process very interactive (Nord 128). The introduction of digital reading has led to an increase in the number of readers because e-books and other online publications are cheap and more accessible (Liu 64).
The development of technological devices such as iPads and tablets will continue to increase the variety and number of e-readers (Liu 66). Technology has really enhanced the reading culture because many people can now access digital sources on their computers without going to the bookstore.
The iPad is a new revolution in the world of reading because of its numerous applications (Liu 79). Although an iPad has many uses, the device is in most cases used to read e-books. An iPad can be used to read content during official duties and even leisure time. The device can be used to read e-books and other online publications depending on the type of applications that that the user has (Liu 79).
The number of newspaper and magazine readers has increased because readers are only required to have a computer with internet connectivity to access magazines in their electronic format. The majority of newspaper and magazine publishers have online electronic versions meant to satisfy the needs of internet users. The reading culture has been changed in a great way because of the internet (Nord 137).
The internet revolution has changed the scope of reading sources and in the process making the reading experience to be more interesting.
The internet has got a variety of multimedia documents that include web pages, blogs, e-journals, websites and e-books which provide readers with a lot of options to choose from (Nord 137). The internet has emerged as major source of content in recent years that is attractive to the digital generation of readers. Readers are able to download a lot of information in electronic form for present and future use.
Internet surfing enables a reader to access interconnected information from different sources in one instance (Raven 122). The internet revolution has been of great benefit to students because they can access a variety of reading materials form different online sources. Research findings have shown that many students prefer doing their academic research using internet sources compared to print sources form bookstores.
Many young people have grown up in the digital environment and this has a very significant effect on their reading habits (Raven 122). Applications such as e-readers have led to selective reading where readers can move directly to their preferred content as opposed to extensive and in-depth reading associated with print sources. Internet sources enable readers to read in all directions because the arrangement of content is non-linear. This kind of arrangement makes reading to be very interesting, flexible and interactive (Raven 145).
The digital generation of readers can not read continuously for a very long time because of the type of devices they use (Raven 145). It is not easy to read for a prolonged period of time from an iPad or a computer screen because of visual fatique. Reading has become very superficial because readers using digital devices are always tempted to explore different topics in one instance.
The need to carry out extensive reading within the shortest time possible does not allow for an in-depth exploration of content (Richardson 106). Reader software enhancements have been developed to solve the problem of poor screen resolution which discourages many digital readers because of visual fatigue.
The advocates of digital reading are doing their level best to ensure that reading from the screen becomes very comfortable. The new reading software and devices have enhanced features such videos, animations and a variety of images that are meant to introduce fun in reading (Richardson 106).
Online reading materials affect the choice of content. Readers have a variety of information to choose from compared to hardcopy books. Readers no longer depend on print sources because they have access to both local and foreign content through the internet. Technological advancement has enabled users to develop an interest in reading news because of affordability and accessibility (Richardson 109). Sequential and continuous reading has significantly decreased as a result of digital reading that is very flexible.
In conclusion, the traditional reading culture has completely changed as a result of technological advancement. The internet revolution has had a significant impact on the reading practices of many readers (Nord 115). Digital reading has encouraged superficial and interactive reading.
In-depth reading is no longer possible because electronic sources provide very little room for that. Online readers can not concentrate for long periods of time because of the temptation to read a variety of sources. Online sources do not encourage sequential reading because of their non-linear arrangement.
General knowledge reading has increased in recent times due to internet surfing (Richardson 156). Digital devices such as iPads, mobile phones, computers and tablets have introduced convenience in reading because readers can access information in the comfort of their homes (Richardson 159). The majority of bookstores will soon close down because many readers prefer electronic sources.
Works Cited
Liu, Ziming. Paper to Digital: Documents in the Information Age. London: ABC-CLIO, 2008. Print.
Nord, David. The Enduring Book: Print Culture in Postwar America. New York: UNC Press Books, 2009. Print.
Raven, James. The Practice and Representation of Reading in England. London: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print.
Richardson, Judy. Reading to Learn in the Content Areas. New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Mayer, Richard. Handbook of Research on Learning and Instruction. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2010. Print.