Are e-Readers and eBooks detrimental to literature?
Discursive essay
In recent years, reading on electronic devices such as e-Readers, Smartphones, Tablets and even laptops from time to time, has become more popular. Many say e-Readers and eBooks are becoming more commonly used due to the easiness and also cheapness, but many still believe that the traditional book will always comfort them more.
Due to recent research, it is said that eBooks are potentially affecting children’s learning. According to DigitalBookWorld.com; Children are reading more on computers, iPods and other electronic devices than they are books, comics, magazines and newspapers. In a survey taken by the National Literacy Trust, it reports that those who read more printed text are inclined to be better readers than those who read digital text, but the survey also concluded that children will read anything and everything that they can, and that “kids who read, read from a lot of sources”, the survey initially did not prove that eBooks are to blame for poorer reading skills
EBooks seem to be a happy medium for many teenagers and young adults, eBooks offer just as much benefits as reading a printed book does. EBooks offer an easy alternative to carrying multiple books around in your bag and puts them all in one place, for a much more efficient price. According to new research, around about 39% of young people prefer eBooks to reading a normal book, again 39% of young people claim that they use electronic devices to read on a daily basis, but only 28% of them read printed materials on a daily basis. The amount of children and teenagers reading eBooks as affectively doubled in the last 2 years. Nearly every child has access to a computer at home or at school, and it is surprising to know that children are more likely to own a tablet than to have a desk at home.
A study has found that e-readers could help put less strain onto elderly people’s eyes. E-readers and e-books are a quicker alternative for the more elderly people to read the same text, but faster and without affecting their understanding. During the study, researchers performed an eye and brain activity test on 36 younger and 21 older participants. Each had to read nine texts, on either a tablet, e-reader or in print. Among the younger participants there was no variance on time or brain activity, whereas the older group spent more time and energy reading the print of a book. The tablet produced the best result, using much less energy and cutting the time of each page by 3-4 seconds. When asked which they prefer the older participants preferred reading a printed book to reading on an e-reader or tablet.
Authors all have their own opinion on electronic reading devices, many authors believe e-books are great, they promote their work more and are cheaper to buy, but while many authors praise electronic reading there are also many who believe electronic reading is damaging to society and destroys the true meaning of literature, such as Jonathan Frazen. Frazen, author of ‘Freedom’ and ‘The Corrections’, and is known as one of Americas greatest living novelists, is known for cutting access to the internet while he is writing. “The technology I like is the American paperback edition of ‘Freedom, I can spill water on it