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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack7" data-source="post: 5628304" data-attributes="member: 54707">Will Social Media and New Information Delivery Systems (such as Kindle) not only change how people read, but what they read?  Being a bit of a Technophile myself I enjoy much of the new information delivery systems that have been recently developed, everything from Twitter and Facebook and Google+ on the macro level, to handheld electronic readers on the micro level. However one thing that bothers me, as the pace increases to consume more and more information content from what is basically technological and electronic sources, is this altering not only how we read, but what we read? Personally I think that all of these content delivery methods are at best, in their very most primordial and infantile stages, compared to what they could potentially deliver. As a matter of fact I'm working on a couple of inventions to augment current delivery systems so that much richer content can be delivered by these various systems. So I think the untapped potential is enormous. On the other hand I have noticed a peculiar trend among many of those who use these devices and methods as their primary sources of content delivery. They (the users) are always ready and eager to get and read the next new thing, but never use their Kindles (and forget about social media, it almost never delivers anything more impressive than short informational bursts or perusal opinions) or similar devices to read Homer, or a book on science, or much of anything aside from: a new release, an instructional book, or an entertainment book. There is nothing wrong with any of those things, but that's all they use their devices for, and more importantly it is now all they read. If it is not geared to their particular technological outlet, or is not a new release, or is not a new entertainment release, it's all they read. And I mean all they read. Several have commented to me that their devices are so convenient why read books? Which is fine by me, but then again it's not just changing how they read (the method) it's also changing what they read (the actual content). They only read new stuff geared to their technology. Apparently the technology leads to an impulse, intentional or sub-conscious, to only read those things somehow associated with their technology. And great works of the past (unless there is a movie tie-in) just aren't associated in their minds with their technology (even though I'm assuming many great works of the past can now be accessed via their technology). This bothers me. Now it is entirely possible that as the technology develops this problem will be self-alleviating because of content improvements (for instance Beowulf may soon be delivered in such a format that it is more exciting to read off your e-book reader than by an illustrated book-form), or advances in memory and storage capacity make true librarying possible, or because degradation problems are resolved, etc. But for now I've noticed that reading devices are changing not only how people read but what they read as well. Anyone else notice this?</blockquote>

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