Bits 'n' Bobs.

The Independent: Children turn away from books in favour of reading electronically

Children are spending more time time reading on computers or other electronic devices than on books, magazines and comics for the first time, according to a study out today.

Found Via author Michael Scotts’ twitter account, an interesting article over at The Independent. An annual survey of 8 - 16 year olds, by the National Literacy Trust indicates that 39% of children who read daily, now do so via an electronic medium.

More interesting than the continued evolution of the reading habits of the nation, however, is the following:

The research examines the influence of this technology on children’s reading abilities and their enjoyment of reading. It found those who read daily only on-screen are nearly twice less likely to be above average readers than those who read daily in print or in print and on-screen (15.5% vs 26%).

Those who read only on-screen are also three times less likely to enjoy reading very much (12% vs 51%) and a third less likely to have a favourite book (59% vs 77%). 

Over the last twelve / eighteen months, I’ve read similar reports - that, essentially, people who read electronically are less likely to retain information, compared to comparable persons who read via print. 

Based on my own reading habits? I’m not convinced. I’ve read well over a hundred eBooks of varying lengths [from eBooks that were less than 40 pages through to 1,000+ page tomes from the likes of Neal Stephenson & Stephen King] since buying my original Kindle back in 2010, and I’m pretty confident I could recite the basic plot outlines, and the main character developments that occur, in most of them [bar the terribly written ones].

I do wonder - however, if the reason this statistic and similar ones [I’ve read similar statistics applied to adult readers] might be occurring is due to the way researchers lump all electronic books into one category?

Reading books “electronically” encompasses a pretty wide and varied selection of devices. The device used to read eBooks? Off the top of my head it could be:

• An eInk / ePaper [or similar variant] dedicated eReader.
• A Desktop Personal Computer / Laptop.
• A smartphone.
• A tablet.

And presumably a plethora of other devices I’m too old to not think of :) Indeed, the report in question sheds some interesting light on the issue:

Nearly all children have access to a computer at home and 4 out of 10 now own a tablet or a smartphone, while 3 in 10 do not have a desk of their own.

I’m not a “format snob” - at least not when applied to the reading habits of others. Given I ran a tumblr stream pretty much devoted to dispelling the quite frankly asinine notion that people who read electronically aren’t actually reading, due to some bizarre fetishistic attraction people have towards paper [or; Bibilionecrophilia to call it by its name.] it would be extremely arrogant to “talk shit” about certain reading mediums…

However? I do think there’s a possible reason this statistic / finding keeps cropping up - and I think it’s the inclusion of LCD / LED devices among the spectrum of electronic reading.

I have a Nexus 7. It’s a fantastic little eReader that I’ve enjoyed immensely since getting one - I use it pretty much every day.

But personally? I can’t read long-form text off the thing. True I use Flipboard to read RSS feeds, and Chrome to browse mobile versions of certain websites, but despite being able to run a plethora of reading apps - including the Kindle app, I’ve only ever read about twenty pages of an eBook on the device.

Compare that to the tens of thousands of pages I’ve read via the various eInk devices I’ve owned, and I think we have an insight into the issue.

Perhaps the issue of plot / information retention among readers, when it comes to eBooks isn’t an inherent problem with the format itself, but rather an issue with the devices that are used?

The survey findings are based on data garnered from 34,910 children. The 39% of children who read electronically represent ~13,615 of those surveyed. Despite Jeff Bezos’ annual unveiling of ambiguous “best year ever” platitudes with regards the sale of eInk eReaders, I personally have a hard time buying into the notion that such a high percentage of those surveyed own eInk devices.

Tablets / PCs / Cellphones, on the otherhand? I honestly wouldn’t be all that shocked if those types of device significantly out number the percentage that make up eInk devices.

There’s also the somewhat ambiguous nature of the way the report is presented, with regards some of the statistics:

39% of children and young people read daily using electronic devices including tablets and eReaders, but  only 28% read printed materials daily. The number of children reading eBooks has doubled in the last two years (from 6% to 12%). 

Are those two groups inclusive, or exclusive? In other words, of the 39% who read eBooks daily, do 29% go onto read physical books, or is that group separate?

More importantly - than the scope of the original survey, or the tedious ramblings that preceed this sentence? What of the percentage of children who don’t read for pleasure? What initiatives are being undertaken to bring the joy of reading to those who it has so far eluded?

It’s an interesting survey, which at the end of the day is being used for healthy reasons - to ensure the balance between reading electronically and via “dead trees” remains.

It’s also a topic I’ve been wanting to write about for a while now - perhaps a more in depth post over on the remnants of The Kindle Monologues?