Week 11 Prompt Response
As someone who grew up reading physical books, I moved with surprising ease to eBooks. While initially I missed the scent of books (which I now associate with decaying glue and paper) I’ve found that the accessibility and convenience of eBooks far outweigh whatever nostalgia drew me to physical books. Which is not to say that I don’t still love them: I enjoy having a physical manifestation of something that I love, which is why I have 15 copies of The Hobbit and twelve sets of Lord of the Rings.
I don’t necessarily think that physicality affects my knowledge of a book, series or genre. Unless I’m specifically attempting to judge the length or density of a fantasy series, holding the book doesn’t change much for me. In the case of fantasy books, it’s actually much easier to read digitally: they are often 1,000 page monsters that can distress the wrist muscles, but length has no effect on the weight of an eReader or smartphone. This provides accessibility to readers who have physical disabilities, such as lack of mobility or rheumatoid arthritis. Similarly, digital books and the customization options available within apps make it easier for people with visual impairments or learning disabilities to read, whether that’s changing the font to a sans serif choice, increasing the spacing between words, lines or letters, or adjusting the background to have more or less contrast. I personally find it easier to read a sans serif font, as it prevents my eyes from getting caught on decorative swoops.
Audiobooks are an excellent option for anyone, but they are particularly beneficial for those who struggle with reading or who are illiterate. According to Statista, the global literacy rate in 2020 was 86.81% (O’Neill, 2022). For the remainder who are illiterate, audiobooks give them the chance to enjoy reading as much as those who can read. Similarly, people who are blind benefit from audiobooks. Based on another Statista study from 2014, it was projected that 1.3 million adults over the age of 40 would be blind in 2017, and audiobooks (or Playaways) would greatly serve this population.
Beyond the appeal of accessibility, I think audiobooks would see the most change in appeal based on their format. The quality of the narrator would be the biggest appeal challenge, such as whether the narrator spoke with an accent different to that of the listener, their cadence, the quality of the recording, et cetera. A dry subject matter would also affect appeal, as some may find it harder to listen to such a topic rather than read it. A book that contains illustrations or accompanying pictures would suffer from an audiobook format only in that regard, though a truly good book would hopefully not rely on supplemental photos too much.
Overall, I think eBooks, audiobooks, and eAudiobooks are an incredible resource and one that makes reading accessible to everyone, especially people with disabilities. I like them because they are more convenient for me personally, but also because of what they can offer to others.
References
O'Neill, A. (2022, December 22). Global adult literacy rate aged 15 years and older from 1976 to 2020 by gender [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/997360/global-adult-and-youth-literacy/?locale=en
Prevent Blindness. (2014, June 11). Projected number of adults who were blind in the U.S. in 2017, by age [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/683169/prevalence-of-blindness-projections-united-states-by-age/?locale=en
When I was in middle school I would read books under the covers by the light of my little LG flip phone. Later on in high school when I got an iPad, I was able to read under the covers unimpeded when I found the Apple "bookstore" and eBooks. I'm fairly certain that my want to stay up late and read is what launched me into a full scale love affair with eBooks!
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a nostalgia factor with physical copies of books. I think most of us have fond memories of curling up with books in our younger days. With the growing popularity of e-books it stands to reason that there will come a time when groups of people have these same early memories of reading, but with e-books only.
ReplyDeleteI love your point when it comes to individuals who do not have the ability to read and using audiobooks. That is something that is rather important to remember. There are times in which someone want to read a book but it is above their reading level and a audiobook would help them greatly.
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren
ReplyDeleteI’m really happy you also chose to discuss how eMedia can be really beneficial in terms of accessibility. I think we were in the same “People with Disabilities” course as I was and it really opened my eyes to how beneficial technology can be!
When discussing audiobooks I also mentioned those who are visually impaired but failed to talk about or even think about people who struggle with reading or are illiterate. I’m so glad you pointed that statistic out as it can really put things into perspective for people who are against audiobooks. I’m always surprised when people sneer at audiobooks because they are not “real books”, because in the end those who listen and those who read with their eyes are getting pretty much the same thing out of a book.
You also mention audiobooks of books that have illustrations which I find a bit baffling unless they are meant to accompany the physical book (like a read along). There are many graphic novels that are being adapted and while I haven’t taken the time to listen to any, I fail to understand how they would work well without the physical or eBook to read along with it.
Such great insight. Full points!
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