When Young Adults Will E-Read
Posted by meredith on 03-12-2009
The other day I overheard a conversation between two parents who were in shock over their teens' e-reading habits and I couldn't help but listen in. What stuck with me most was the example of one woman's thirteen year-old daughter reading 200 pages of the leaked Twilight manuscript on a screen. It got me to thinking about the differences between adults who protest against the technology and younger readers.
For Gen Y, the choice to read actual books versus e-books is not so much a moral stance, as a preference. As both Anastasia and I have reiterated here, the look and feel of a book plays a huge role in its appeal. Even more so than music or movies because it's not just the packaging, it's the product. So while the loss of cover art is regrettable for CDs, for books it seems almost unforgivable. With a few exceptions.
Exclusive Content. In cases like the aforementioned leaked Twilight manuscript, teens, as with any devoted fanbase, will adopt an "any means necessary" approach to get their hands on content. And while, in this scenario it was to the chagrin of both the author and the publisher, there are cases of using the web to extend stories from the page to the screen and back again. The key here is not to replace print, but to reward it with extras.
Textbooks. Generally, I hold the position that even if young adults do engage in e-reading, they won't be doing so on an e-reader. If anything, they'll download (a real possibility now that the Kindle app is available on the iPhone). However, if there was a scenario where a separate device would hold appeal then textbooks would be it (currently a work-in-progress for Kindle). With no sentimental value (with a few exceptions) and a large price tag, the ability to upload your reading lists each semester is a pretty tempting offer. Especially if you have the ability upload texts to match the latest edition.
When It Makes Sense. This last scenario is a bit of a cop out because it actually encompasses both of the others I listed. But the reason I threw it in there was to say this: the feeling I get is that younger people do not have a hard and fast objection to e-reading, they just find it distasteful. Still, if there's a PDF floating around that all of their friends are reading, I'd doubt they'd turn it down.
In the end, the message is the same as what we've said before about the future of books. Yes, reading has and will continue to evolve. But that doesn't mean books are endangered.
For more coverage of YA books and publishing, check out the Ypulse Books Channel sponsored by the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL: FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE! (LB Teens).
Categorized under: Books & Print
March 12th, 2009 at 11:02 am
As I recent college grad, these are my points of excitement and hang-ups about e-textbooks:
PRO:
1) SEARCHABLE! My brain functions so much like Google now that I have a hard time hunting for specific content on a printed page.
2) Lighter and easier to haul around.
3) Possibly more environmentally friendly–a tradeoff between paper and battery power, I suppose
CON:
1) Inability to highlight and take notes in margins (I would always buy the used books whose previous owners were avid highlighters). However, if technology developed to export notes and excerpts into a study guide, this could be an amazing time-saver.
2) The last thing I would want is a dead battery when I'm cramming for midterms
3) Speaking specifically about Kindle, black-and-white wouldn't work for scientific photographs or charts/graphs
QUESTIONS:
1) Will this really cut costs? A lot of the reason for high textbook costs is intellectual property. Does eliminating printing, binding, and distribution really slash prices that much?
2) What will the model be for "used" textbooks? Will students be able to transfer their licenses to one another (eliminating third party resellers)? Or is each new student doomed to buying a new copy?
3) To your point, Meredith–will updates be downloadable rather than students having to buy an entirely new edition? From my jaded perspective, textbook publishers will do anything to make a dollar, and I wouldn't be surprised if minor updates still cost big bucks.
These are points e-textbook developers need to keep in mind when thinking about what college students value. It's not all about the coolest technology if it's going to cost them more in the long run or make reviewing and studying a hassle.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Hi Libby – Thanks for the insight. I agree that there are definitely more than a few hurdles (costs, DRM, study-friendliness) that developers will have to overcome before e-readers are ready for students. My point was more that the potential audience is there. I think the fact that recent grads like you and I are even asking how we'd use the technology as opposed to whether we'd use it is telling. And while I'm not sure if Kindle has the answers, I do believe they're out there. Maybe even in the hands of a current college student.