How Technology is Changing What We Read

How Technology is Changing What We Read

This article is talking about the changes that technology is making to what we read. I agree that people are spending more time reading because of internet access. I know that I read many blogs and newsfeeds online. Easy access has changed the way I read the newspaper. I often only read articles that I find interesting rather than all the articles in a section of the paper. I read much more about my interests these days because of all the blogs that people with specialized knowledge are writing. People have the opportunity to read classic texts that Google has scanned into the internet. These books no longer have to be borrowed or purchased.

Writers have new outlets online as well. Short, twitter-length stories have begun to appear. Writers are enjoying writing more because they have a new audience. Technology also makes it quicker, easier and cheaper to reach that audience. And, the audience could be so specialized that many topics are read rather than just general texts.

Books for children are changing online as well. A few companies are taking picture book illustrations and turning the text into movies. Two examples of that are: Tumble books, which is accessible through the NYPL children's website and Scholastic Bookflix. Children can watch and listen to the book being read to them without a parent assisting pretty easily. They can also turn off the volume and read the text to practice those skills.

It is exciting to see the changes that are producing new literacies for students and teachers to learn everyday.