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Sunday, May 6, 2012

Are Your Reading Habits Changing?

Are your reading habits changing because of the new generation of eBook devices? Do you find yourself hindered, as you try to immerse in reading, by their multi-purpose design, which offers a multitude of ways for your concentration to stray away? The original Kindle was not designed as a multi-purpose device, specifically so that readers could focus on reading and nothing else. But in a competitive market, where the iPad, Nook and Kindle are forced to come up with newer designs, eBook devices offer more and more temptations to lure us away from the task at hand--more inventive escapes, that end up shortening our attention span.

Is this a question of concern to you? It is to the writer of this New York Times article, called Finding Your Book Interrupted ... By the Tablet You Read It On


I may be alone in this, but somehow I'm afraid that if enough of us fall change our habits, our attention span might be cut down not only for reading a book--but also for reading each other's lips. Another words, listening. And then, the world we live in could easily become the new Babylon, where the less we listen, the more weird is what we hear, and every word separates itself from our language, till all we can do is just turn to our tablets and click ourselves away.


Ink-on-paper painting called Babylon, with the words 'Word' and 'Language' appearing in different tongues

14 comments:

  1. I read on my Kindle 3G and haven't bought a Kindle Fire, because I don't want to be distracted. All I want to do is read! If I want to watch a movie, I'll do it on TV.

    Since I got my Kindle two years ago, I read more, since I carry it in my purse everywhere I go. Love it.

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    1. Good for you! I think it is a great and affordable way to get books and to read more.

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  2. I'm tempted by the Kindle Fire but only because I'm tempted by tablets in general. My little old kindle is the perfect reading machine with no distractions--except when it takes too long to turn the page.

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  3. The art is beautiful, Uvi. Your work always mesmerizes me.

    I read on my iPad and do get distracted-but mostly because that is my nature. When I am engrossed, distraction is not an issue for the most part.

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    1. Thank you for what you say about my art.

      I hear the iPad has a beautiful animation when you turn the page, it 'rolls' across the screen. It makes you feel as close to holding a book as it can...
      btw my book is available also on iTunes... Hint, hint... ;)

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    2. Yes, my daughter is captivated by the book-like page turning. I have your book in hard copy and get to start it this week after I finish one other book!

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  4. I read a lot of eBooks on my Kindle Fire. I rarely venture into B&N now. Sad, but true. I simply have too many paper books and no more room on my shelves. Except for the occasional amazing must-have. I didn't think I'd like reading on an eReader, but I do. No book light needed w/ the Fire.

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    1. Yeah, several of my girlfriends say that this way, with the bedside lamp off, husband can go on snoring without interruption and with no complaints...

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  5. Yes... I actually left my iPad and iPhone out of reach, so I could finish reading a book I was editing on my Kindle, undisturbed. LOL! Definitely a First-World Problem! I'm almost ashamed to admit.

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    1. lol.. What you said was written not only with honesty but with humor, too! A great beginning to my day.

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  6. I've had a Nook for two years now and love it. When I downsized to my current cottage, there was no room for a book collection and the Nook met that need well. I probably read more books now because downloading them is so easy. And yes, I do check my e-mail and see what's happening on Facebook on it sometimes, too.

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    1. Good for you, Jayne! I fully understand the advantage in terms of no physical library space. I wonder, ow do you find the reading experience, compared to a book?

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