Is distraction a positive or negative aspect of living in the digital age? How can you best fight it when you need to concentrate (on reading a novel, say)? Do you prefer reading a book on paper or on an electronic device? Does the invention of the latter mean the end of the former? Could it also mean that people will start reading less in general?
Last Christmas my family got a kindle under the Christmas tree, and it has probably been the most useful gift out of all of the ones we got last year. Almost every book I desire is literally within my grasp and it all fits easily into my backpack (even coat pocket!) so I can take the relatively small and extremely light device with me practically anywhere without any problems. When I come across a word I do not know, its dictionary definition is just two clicks away and the fact that I can search and find any word or phrase within all of the books of my library certainly is helpful sometimes. Unfortunately, I have to agree that despite all of the ‘practicality’ in this digital device, the reading experience is somewhat lacking.
ReplyDeleteUnlike some of the people mentioned in this article, I have never accessed the Internet through my kindle. I did not even know that there was such an option until recently, but I still don’t have the urge to go check it even now that I know that it is possible. The exact reason why I start reading a book is because I am interested in it, so similarly to Erin Faulk, if a book does not grab my attention enough for me to want to devote my time to it, I stop reading it. I believe that the people that are distracted by the option of surfing the net while reading a novel just aren’t interested in what they are reading. It’s not the problem of if you are reading on an electronic device or a classic book, but that people have so many issues and complications in their own life that they just cannot immerse themselves into the plot and concentrate fully on a story that is not their own.
Of course, I probably still do agree that a classic book is better than my kindle (despite the infinite advantages) but for a different reason. When reading the same book on a kindle and as a normal paperback (or hardback), although the words are the same, the experience isn’t. It’s like there is something missing. You can’t feel the texture of the paper on your skin, there is no crackling-like sound of the pages turning, you can’t physically feel the progress of how much you have read and you can’t smell the aroma seething from the cellulose particles of the paper.
And evidently I’m not the only one missing this link with my senses; I just found a site (http://smellofbooks.com/), which advertises an aerosol for “reading e-books without giving up the smell you love so much”. Truly unbelievable. However, the fact that products like this are being produced just proves that people do care as to how they read a book, and not only about the plot. Thus, I believe that there will always be a preference for the classic book over an electronic reader, no matter how many features are added to it.
In my opinion, it is really hard to focus on some work, wither for school or work, when you have access to internet. I am saying this from my own experience, because every time I am trying to learn for a test or do some project for school and I have my computer on, I cannot focus for more than 10 minutes. Then I automatically check Facebook or Gmail. It is just a subconscious activity. I do not even want or have to go to see what is new on Facebook, but I do it automatically regularly every 10 minutes. Therefore I can imagine how the readers feel when they have a tablet in their hands. They can hardly focus on the reading, because they are constantly interrupted by all the applications which are offered on the tablets. I fully understand the consumers who have bought tablets and sampled e-books on apps from Amazon, Noble, Apple and Barnes that they claim that “It’s harder than ever to sit down and focus on reading.”
ReplyDeleteEven though I am not a passionate reader, I think that real paper books are important, and they should not fade out. It is nice to replace some manual activities with technology, but I think there are some things which should never be replaced, just like reading real books. By real books I mean books made out of paper, with their specific smell. We should keep some traditions. I think it is useful to use technology, but we should have some borders and know what not to replace by technology devices.
So in conclusion, I think that distraction itself and especially while reading is not a good thing. People should buy a real paper book, or borrow it at a library, but they shouldn’t download it. I think that people will definitely read less than before, because they will be distracted by all the technology around them. I certainly prefer paper books, because they have their own magic and it is a much better experience to read a book from paper than from a tablet.
Actually, I don’t share Rasto’s opinion, saying that it’s impossible to finish a book on a tablet. In my opinion, it’s more than possible and as Ms. Faulk, a voracious reader said “If the book’s not good enough to do that, I guess my time is better spent.” Basically, she is saying, that if the book is boring, she just can stop reading it and switch to another app or maybe another book. However, if you are reading a boring print book you keep reading it. The reason why, is because you paid more money for it and also due to the fact that you don’t have that option to switch so fast to doing something more fun so you just hope that the book gets more exciting.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I completely agree with Rasto, that e-books are healthier for your eyes than tablets. According to these facts, I recommend voracious readers to buy an e- book rather than a tablet to prevent eye strain.
Even though I do not own a tablet or a Kindle myself, I do not think they are that much worse than or inferior to books. To me it seems like the benefits outweigh the downsides. Just the mere fact that one is able to access the Internet while reading renders it vastly superior to books, in my opinion. The other multimedia applications are simply an added bonus. Yet, perhaps a tablet’s biggest advantage lies in its versatility. It’s lightweight, can be taken just about anywhere and is capable of storing huge amounts of information. Armed with a Kindle or a tablet you are, essentially, to become a walking library. It saves time, effort, space and money, if you are a hard-core reader, or the least it could do is keep you entertained for a while, if you are not so hard-core.
ReplyDeleteNaturally, like many things, tablets and e-readers have their own drawbacks as well, however, I don’t think that they are sufficient enough for people to start mindlessly bashing on these products. I understand that many of the tablet apps can distract a person enjoying his book, but this problem is so minuscule and as easy to get rid off as taking a candy from a baby. All one has to do, is deny the access to the internet. The more serious problem in comparison would be the fact that tablets don’t feel like books. They lack the specific texture and aroma, a real book has to offer. Despite, the efforts being made to improve e-readers in those aspects, such as inventing an e-reader book fragrance as Jana had mentioned, tablets and e-books will not ever resemble anything even remotely related to a real book. But then again, a choice whether to sacrifice the natural feel of a book for efficiency has to be made. If it were me, I would gladly choose the latter.
The last point that has to be made is regarding the consequences of a person buying a tablet or an e-book. As far as the article is concerned, I don’t agree with some of the proposed statements. If a regular reader buys a tablet or an e-book, I highly doubt that he would drop reading altogether, because of the multimedia opportunities he is bestowed upon with. Similarly, the chances of a person buying a tablet, solely based on the intention of entertaining himself with the countless available apps, to start vigorously reading are abysmal.