In the
article, “Finding Your Book Interrupted… By the Tablet You Read it On,” Bosman
and Richtell discuss the trend of people who read their books on tablets
getting distracted by other features.
Instead of continuing to read, people will find themselves on Facebook,
checking email or just playing games.
While some people have said that the iPad or other tablets are simply
too distracting as a reading device, others claim that it makes them a more
discerning reader. If a book can’t hold
your attention when Facebook is just a finger tap away, then the book must not
be worth continuing.
As a reader
of books of all types I found this article very interesting. I check out print books from the library
constantly. I read books on my iPad and
I read books on my nook simple touch – your basic black and white e
reader. I got my iPad first and
downloaded the Overdrive app that allows you to check out e books from the
library right away. Being distracted
from my book wasn’t the reason I found reading on the iPad to be
difficult. The lighted screen ended up
making my head hurt. Also its size and
the bright screen made it inconvenient to read at night.
While I did
at times play on my iPad instead of reading my books, I don’t feel that this
behavior was any different than if it had been a print copy. If a book begins to bore me, I find a different
book, go watch tv, go on the computer or any number of things. The medium of my reading material has never
made me more focused or less (except for the issues of the bright screen)
However, if I
were coming to the iPad or any tablet for that matter and I wasn’t an avid
reader to begin with, I wonder if it would be the same. Would the pull of Facebook be too much? And if it were, would it be the same if I
were reading a book in print or on a regular e reader instead?
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