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According to The Economist, we’re entering a new age of digital consumption: Lean Back 2.0. They say tablets and e-readers are to thank, but is it all just hyperbole about hypertext?
In a presentation given by Andrew Rashbass, CEO of The Economist Group, he claimed that the old publishing models of web and print are “irredeemably broken.” (I wasn’t aware that web publishing was old yet — though admittedly for some publishers it definitely is broken.)
So what the hell does he mean by “Lean Back 2.0″? Simple, really. He points to the fact that the use of tablets and e-readers is growing — at the expense of print and web use — and simultaneously also changing our reading habits. Unlike reading on a laptop, reading on an iPad or Kindle is a leisure activity. Unlike reading a print newspaper or magazine, you can access whatever the hell you like. We’re now combining the utility of modern tech with the enjoyment of reading as relaxation.
It kinda makes sense. But don’t just take Rashbass’s hyperbolic word for it, take some of his (not altogether convincing) figures too. In his presentation, he points out that 42 per cent of tablet users regularly read in-depth articles, and another 40 per cent read them occasionally — which suggests people read more longer items on tablets than on computers. Apparently.
Also, users’ eye activity is far more focused on an iPad app than on a website, and many people also claim they find it easier to learn new things and enjoy news more when digesting it via a tablet. Apparently.
But lets cut through some of the crap here. These figures aren’t actually being compared directly to anything really useful. And terminology like “Lean Back 2.0″ is also horrible, nauseating PR bull shit.
That aside: he has a point. Reading from a tablet is more relaxing than reading at a laptop. Amongst those that I know, e-readers probably are having (some, small) measurable effect on the amount people read. These two facts are very positive.
Maybe you have similar experiences. Maybe you don’t. But if some people read some more stuff, that can only be a good thing. Just don’t call it Lean Back 2.0. [The Economist via The Verge]
Image credit: preetamrai/flickr
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I’m going to make a small confession: I pre-ordered a Kindle when they were released in the UK. I Bought a case and two books for it. After reading the two books, I sold it.
Nothing to do with the device, it was truly wonderful. Light, slight, clear, crisp, responsive, functional, beautiful…reading books was what it did, nothing more (apart from the hidden Minesweeper game), and it did it with aplomb. The shame was that what it was attempting to replace undermined its every advantage.
I have a couple of hundred paperback books at home, all lined up by author on two bookshelves in the hallway, and yes, they’re bulky, yes, they weight a ton when moving, and yes, trees died to create them, but buying a Kindle did not magically make these books disappear and reconstitute themselves in digital form.
I am already invested heavily in the physical medium, and that is how I decided to stay. For someone with no books, or maybe just a few, then yes, the Kindle is a fantastic device, but for those already attached to paper leaf and glossy covers, then, sadly, no.
“For someone with no books, or maybe just a few, then yes, the Kindle is a fantastic device, but for those already attached to paper leaf and glossy covers, then, sadly, no.”
But this presupposes that those who already have books have no need of new books. I too am “heavily invested in the physical medium”. I have books in every room of the house and, of course, I’ll re-read some of those books over and over but I also need new books and that’s what my Kindle’s for.
I’ve only had a Kindle for a couple of weeks (Xmas present that I nagged my wife into letting me open early
) but I love it like I’ve loved no other gadget. It’s convenient, it goes everywhere with me and, most importantly to me, because it does nothing else it allows me to lose myself in a “book” just like I used to with a glued together bundle of paper and ink.
Unlike other digital media I don’t need to re-purchase or rip my exisiting books because I can still read them anytime I want to but I already can’t imagine myself ever buying a “real” book again.
I love the idea of them, however I’ve always wanted a physical library and I’ll be damned if I let these things get in my way.
I used to read a lot when I still lived with my parents. Then, when I left for university, the only books I read would tend to be text books. When I moved after university, due to space and transport, I ended up with only about 5 books and – barring something to keep me entertained on flights to/from Australia – didn’t buy any more or even really read.
Then, a couple of months ago, I bought a Kindle, I’ve bought more books than ever and I’m reading heavily again. It’s brilliant. I’m someone who doesn’t like having physical “stuff” around and so the Kindle’s perfect for me.
If I didn’t buy it, I still wouldn’t be reading again.
I could never give up the smell of a 1927 first edition, an e-reader will never give me that, I read books, old books and new books, I buy them at local bookstores, I wait for weeks while they order them in, I support my local economy, I help my high street as much as I can. I love books, always have, always will. I’m an active reader in as much as, when I read, I don’t lean back, I lean forward.
I think people like the look of a Kindle and buy one, then read more as a result of having it. Plus it is super easy to instantly buy the book they’re talking about on TV or whatever.
I freaking love my Kindle, it is so much easier to hold than any book therefore comfier to read.