Recent studies have found that, unfortunately, people just aren’t buying physical copies of books anymore. Sales of books are dropping in all countries as our lives become more busy, chaotic, and filled with other things. But are we actually reading less, and if so, what is driving it?
The Situation Right Now
Reading books is on a fairly rapid decline. The average American will spend equivalent to only seven minutes a day reading. Overall, older people prefer to read but, with younger generations, the number gets lower and lower. Less than half of the population reads literature, and the number of those reading any books at all, ever, decreased by 7% over the last 10 years.
It’s a sad situation, as the benefits of reading an actual book are well known. These benefits include motor and cognitive abilities, relaxation, increase in vocabulary, reducing stress, and lengthening lifespan, to name just a few. So, what’s driving the decline?
What Is Taking Our Attention?
There are so many distractions in today’s world; first and foremost, that of digital forms of entertainment. Streaming services that offer movies, TV series, videos, and music are at the forefront of our minds and demand our attention with new releases on a daily basis. For many, watching live-action versions of books has become preferable in recent years.
Secondly, other forms of online entertainment such as online gambling and casino sites like CasinoWings have also increased in popularity. Offering visitors excitement and even interaction through live table games and various bonus offers, they have become one of the main ways to be entertained, particularly on mobile devices. Being able to access wide varieties of casino games on-demand has certainly contributed to the popularity of this type of entertainment. In addition to these interactive options, the simple pleasure of reading must also compete with computer games, brainteasers, social media, and photography too.
How to Compromise
However, there are a couple of different ways you can still enjoy reading while incorporating it into your lifestyle. For example, there are various kinds of eReaders available. These allow you to download books onto them and read them as you would a regular book, but just on a screen. They are arguably a more convenient means of accessing literature as hundreds of titles can be stored on them and there are free books available too. They are also handy as they fit into your bag and can be taken anywhere.
Another option is audiobooks. More and more people are enjoying listening to books in audio format, allowing them to complete other tasks at the same time. They are great for car journeys and livening up mundane tasks like cooking or cleaning. This is a great way to absorb information from various kinds of books without having to find time to sit down and read them.
Bibliophiles are quite rightly concerned that books are falling out of fashion beyond a point of no return. But can audiobooks and eReaders keep enough people interested? It seems more may have to be done and additional technologies integrated in order to keep readers happy.
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