Internet blamed for reading habit decline

Dubai: Whether it is by turning the pages of a dog-eared novel, clicking on its brighter, online version, or delving into the narrative with headphones on, storytelling is here to stay.

But Gulf News readers say that the way we read books and acquire information may be changing permanently.

A 2002 US census showed that literary reading was down by 10.2 per cent from a 1982 census — it equates to the loss of 20 million potential readers.

In a gulfnews.com poll, conducted a few months ago, voters were asked what they thought was the reason for the gradual decline in reading. About 51 one per cent of respondents placed the blame on the internet, 21 per cent said they did not have time to read, 18 per cent said it was because of television, and 10 per cent said that books were too expensive.

For Haifa Hydrose, a recent graduate, the trend toward online "edutainment" is apparent in the lifestyle of young adults and teenagers.

Easier to fit

"Most of us have internet-enabled mobile phones and laptops with wireless connections. It's just easier to fit reading into our lifestyles this way."

The 21-year-old Dubai resident felt technology is a key player in the changing trend — and that this was not necessarily a bad thing.

She said: "I have been more exposed to various kinds of reading material because of the internet. I don't think books would have had such an effect on me."

But between audiobooks, e-books and the traditional kind, Jerry Selayro, a Filipino recruitment consultant, felt people were becoming spoilt for choice. "I've been reading the same book for more than two months now, because I often switch between listening to the audio version and clicking through the e-version."

The entire experience of reading has also changed, according to Selayro. "Now, it's not just about reading. People want to be stimulated in other ways, too. That's why you find the younger generation reading an e-book, listening to music and chatting with friends online — all simultaneously."

According to Fozia Imran, a Sharjah-based teacher, this change in focus is one of the main reasons for the lack of interest young people display in traditional paperback books.

"Children find books to be too boring, especially if the vocabulary is difficult. Internet and other technology have only made matters worse," she said.

Unless people show the initiative to read from an early age, they would continue to be uninterested when they grow older, she added. It is a notion that's familiar to Naina Nair, an Indian expatriate based in Dubai.

She said: "I cannot think of a day in my life when I didn't read a book. But I would not say it is the only way to improve vocabulary and writing skills."

While technology may be guiding the 21st century to new ways of approaching books, Nair felt confident about the lasting quality of tangible text. "I love the feel of a book in my hand… nothing can beat it."