Online Reading Effects on Culture
Ebooks and online reading is seemingly taking over our reading habits and occupying a great deal of our personal time. Other techno books and magazines are also contributing to this new era of literature. They seem to be taking over not only our attention, but real life bookstores. And along with this major transformation in the way we read our books comes with it a change, or evolution , in the materials we read. And while many people complain that the computers and technological aspects of our lives are contributing to a decline in reading and math skills, there are also some benefits to them.
The ease of access and relative low cost of reading materials today is contributing to a greater interest in diversifying our sources and genre interests. Greater numbers of writers are finding publication resources and outlets for their material. And consumers are more interested in exploring new writers and various topics and styles of literature. So, it should be all well and good. However, as is true for every new door that opens, there are some potential concerns.
Many people get lost online, their minds flow forward with various website topics and they’re frequently enticed to follow the next shiny object, or rather click on it. This lends itself to the topic of memory and online reading, or virtual existence. It is believed that most people remember much less of what they’ve read online, than if having read the same thing holding it in their hand, and that doesn’t mean by a Kindle or other techno device. There could be a few different reasons for this, though it is recognized as one of the potential issues. In addition, it has been suggested that while people might be reading more, their actual reading and comprehension skills are suffering. And while this seems to be slightly contradictory, various English test subjects and academic studies suggest it is true. It’s also commonly acknowledged that orally based cultures have the strongest memories.
What does this all mean for society and our future? Are we destined to become mindlessly active online? Are we going to bury our faces and futures in mechanical devices? Before we go running to the fireplaces with all of our gadgets and computers, sit back and reflect a bit, if we still possess the ability. Let’s remember all of the great advances and cultural evolutions that are occurring due to technology and keep a mind out for the possible intellectual set back that might occur. If we acknowledge the potential dangers and take precautions against them, we should be able to – wait, what did I just read?
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