We, as humans, began reading about 5000 years ago. But the way we read now is drastically different from how it was before in the very beginning. With time and various inventions, reading habits amongst humans evolved, and there has been slow progress over the years.
But the recent progress in technology has sped up the process and brought a revolution in our reading habits. Here is a glimpse of the impact that technology has had on the way that we read.
Obtaining Information:
There was a time when picking a reference book meant going through extensive chapters to get the information you need. But the day and age in which we live today, all that reading isn’t necessary. You no longer need to flip through lengthy chapters. All you need to do is use a search engine with the keywords you are looking for, and in a matter of seconds, you will have all the information required.
You no longer need to find books for appropriate information. All you need is a device with an internet connection. With that, you’ll be good to go.
From Pages To Screens:
One of the most drastic changes that we have experienced due to technology was the shift of reading from pages to screens. Ebooks have found their way around us, and they have been slowly taking over actual books. The reason ebooks are thriving in the present age is because of the significant number of advantages that they can provide.
From convenience to eco-friendliness, there is so much to gain by using ebooks. The fact that there are multiple ways to make an ebook leaves room for new and upcoming authors to publish their writings in the electronic format. It allows them to publish their work and reach a greater audience with smaller investments.
Convenience Above All:
Back in the day, when all people could read were proper books, reading wasn’t considered convenient. If you were lucky, the books would have a bigger font size, and that was the most of the convenience that you could get out of them. But with the technology we have today, reading while straining your eyes is simply out of the question for people.
With the advent of the screens that we all use commonly today, reading no longer affects your eyesight. Not enough light? Turn up the brightness. Is it hurting your eyes? Turn on the dark mode. Is the font too small? Make it as big as you want. In some cases, you can even hear an audio of the text if you aren’t up for reading it. Many users that read on screens prefer it over traditional reading because of the convenience that it offers.
Shortened Attention Spans:
As mentioned earlier, the advent of technology has allowed us to get the information that we need without any extensive reading. Over the years, this has seemed to shorten our attention spans. We no longer look for a good, long enjoyable read. Instead, we look for catchy content, short, and tells us what we need to know.
Gone are the days when one would sit down and read a three-page article on a topic that interests them. What most people look for today is a short text with an illustration that helps to get the point of the text across. Anything longer than a paragraph is scrolled past. And if we were to go by the numbers, 59% of the articles shared on social media are not entirely read by those that share them.
Newspapers And Mornings:
If you think of someone sitting with a newspaper in their hand, with their morning tea next to them, you won’t be imagining the present day. The number of people that read newspapers daily is declining drastically. With the rapid rise of social media, staying updated with worldly affairs has become a lot easier.
You no longer need to wait for the next morning to read about what happened the previous day. You can read about it all the minute that it happens. Be it something that happened in your town or on another continent. The advent of technology has made room for news to spread within a matter of seconds. With the availability of technology that gives you information efficiently, the use of newspapers is coming close to an end.
Conclusion:
Technology has been on the rise for many years now. It continues to change the world around us, as each day passes. And we cannot overlook the impact that it had on our reading habits. The advent of digital reading has provided us with great benefits, yet there are still many people who agree that a screen cannot replace the feel of the paperback and the rustling of the pages.