Practice Of Reading E-books Among Youth

Submitted by
Prima Farheen
ID#1530697030
Course- Eng105
Section-39

Date- 20th April 2017

Course Instructor- Saleheen S Ahmed
 Acknowledgement

I would like to take this opportunity to express out profound gratitude and deep regards to my

course instructor, Mr. Saleheen S Ahmed Sir for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and

constant encouragement throughout the course of this thesis. Without his guideline an

instruction, I could not have reached to the final results of my research. Furthermore I would

like to express my gratitude towards all the students who have participated in the survey, without

them my research would have been baseless. My friends and classmates helped me in every

possible ways they could and I truly thank them for their support. Special thanks go to Tahmeed

Zaman, my elder brother for his help and support. Finally I would like to thank my family

members for their continuous support and motivation.

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 Abstract

The sole purpose of my research paper is to analyze and determine whether the popularity of

reading E-books among the young people is increasing or not. The survey conducted for the

research was based on the youth of Dhaka city, composing of a total sample size of 81 people.

Most of the young people in our country spend more hours of the day using their phones, laptops

and other electronic devices. This study examined the practice of reading E-books among the

youngsters. The study also revealed that a major percentage of the youth are fond of reading E-

books and hence it is becoming a common format of reading among the young generation. They

find it more convenient to read from their smartphones and tablets which are the two most

commonly used electronic devices. Throughout the research the impact of the rise of technology

on the practice of reading e-books among the youth has been portrayed. The survey results

portrays the main usefulness of reading E-books and it thoroughly uncovered the views and

opinions of the young people on reading e-books. The secondary research backed up my

hypothesis with articles, studies and analysis from different sources. Thus at the end of the

research paper, my hypothesis has been proved correct backed up by some interesting findings.

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 Table of Contents

1. Introduction……………………………………………………..5-6

2. Background……………………………………………………..7-8

3. Research Questions……………………………………………...9

4. Hypothesis……………………………………………………....10

5. Methodology…………………………………………………….11

6. Data Representation and Analysis………………………………12-20

7. Summary of Research Findings…………………………………21

8. Recommendations……………………………………………….22

9. Conclusion……………………………………………………….22

10. References……………………………………………………….23-24

1.

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 Introduction

Digital technology has come a long way in recent years, opening up a world of exciting

opportunities for both reading and learning. Many surveys focus on book reading, but what about

the young people who do all their reading online or in digital formats? In this technologically

advanced world are there many youngsters who are embracing E-books? As E-books are

becoming easy and enjoyable to read it is likely to boost in popularity in the coming years. An

electronic book or e-book refers to an electronic version of a printed book. In other words it is a

book publication made available in digital form, readable on the flat-panel display of computers

or other electronic devices. Although a mobile electronic device called an E-reader has been

designed for the purpose of reading E-books but almost any sophisticated electronic device that

has a screen can be used to read e-books, like desktop computers, laptops, tablets and

smartphones.

Emergence of E-books or reading in digital formats is changing the way books are being read.

Many people are reluctant to read E-books because they like the feel of normal book and since

old habits die hard – so many people are not interested to change their way of reading books.

Although this is reasonable enough, but it is also true that an E-book does offer a reader some

experiences which paper books cannot. (Mohsin & Anna, 2013) E-books are easy to carry, takes

less space and can be read anywhere because they are small and easy to share or purchase and

can be stored as electronic files. “The affordances of screen reading will continuously improve

and expand, offering people a reason to switch to screens.” – said by Robert Stein, founder of the

Institute for the Future of the Book and co-founder of Voyager and the Criterion Collection.

With E-books becoming one of the most common formats of reading among the young

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generation and gaining popularity, different web-sites and mobile application like Kindle, Aldiko

Book Reader, Cool Reader etc. are making it a lot easier for the young people to access E-books.

Also they tend to offer the books at a lower price compared to that of print books hence reader

are able to read more of them for less. Moreover the increased access to broadband internet in the

recent years have also encouraged the youth for reading books online, in their internet browser

and thereby enhancing the practice of reading E-books among the youth. Nowadays, the internet

is the key source to find everything we need. With more and more content going digital, we

don’t have to go to a bookstore to preview the book before buying it. All we need is a

smartphone or a computer device which has access to internet and hence we will be able to read

the electronic version of the book available online for free. (Kowalczyk, 2017). Some of the

common sites where one can read books for free are Internet Archive, Smashwords, Wattpad etc.

Today’s teens may be reading just as much as teens in the past, but their methods and formats of

reading are different from the older generations. Kids of our generation are more tech-savvy. As

per the BBC Global News Ltd “Kids who read E-books understand the story better and learn

more vocabulary than those who read normal books”. (Sean, 2013). Imagining today’s young

people without smartphones and laptops can be quite difficult. They have their own smartphones

and laptops which makes it easier for them to read E-books. The fact that more youngsters are

increasing their habit of reading E-books contributes to the idea that technology is changing the

way we read and thus the craze of reading E-books is growing among the youth.

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 Background

There can be a big debate on reading E-books as some prefer to read on screen while some are

totally against it. However, since this research paper is being based upon the youth a number of

key points need to be taken into account for better understanding of the research that is being

conducted. The impact of the rise of technology on the practice of reading e-books among the

youth is a big consideration to be made. The recent rapid improvements in the versatility and

affordability of electronic devices like smartphones and tablets along with increased access to

broadband internet have resulted to young people purchasing more of these devices. While E-

books have been around for many years, but this dramatic rise in the ownership of electronic

devices by the youngsters have contributed in making E-books popular around the world. (Irene,

2014). “High levels of access to mobile phones, computers and tablet devices now mean that

reading is an activity more likely to be on screen than on the printed page”. (Sean, 2013).

Development of electronic publishing during the recent years, has allowed our youngsters to

have access to E-books, whenever and wherever they happen to have their portable device to

hand. (Irene, 2014).

E-books can also have certain impacts on the reading motivation of the young people. According

to some readers, they prefer to read E-books because they believe that they have a tendency of

reading faster when they read on screen as it increases their reading motivation. There are young

people who like reading but are too busy to go up to the bookstores and buy their desired books.

So for them E-books creates a great opportunity to read. Also there are young people who are too

lazy to hold the books and turn the pages to read but they find it fun and motivating to scroll

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down and read from the display of their smartphones or tablets. "Teens really do seek instant

gratification. They don't want to wait." —Suzanne Murphy (Karen, 2012)

There are certain factors which have led to the success of E-books. One of the most vital factor is

that it is designed for mobile reading so it can be read anywhere. Another factor is that they can

be read both online and offline so for the youngsters offline reading remains a big e-book

advantage. Widespread distribution of E-books can also be a vital factor for the popularity of

reading E-books. Because of their compact size E-books are easily and inexpensively distributed

to a wider audience. (Karen, 2012). All of these factors create the opportunity for great reading

experience.

According to a UK survey, “Young people are now much more likely to prefer to read on a

computer screen rather than a printed book or magazine”. (Sean, 2013). National Literacy Trust

director Jonathan Douglas said: "Our research confirms that technology is playing a central role

in young people's literacy development and reading choice. Thus we can say that the practice of

reading E-books among the youth is certainly increasing.

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 Research Questions

In order to find out the extent to which young people are reading E-books I have decided to

investigate the practice of reading E-books among the youth of Dhaka City. Some of my

questions include:

 How often do young people read E-books?

 Why has it become a common format of reading among the young generation?
 Why would a teenager want to read an e-book?
 Why is it convenient for the young people to read e-books?
 What are the views and opinions of the young people on reading e-books?
 How do young people perceive an e-book’s usefulness?

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 Hypothesis

When it comes to reading E-books, opinions are widely varied. Some people are in favor of

reading E-books while some are against it. From my research I expect to find that the young

people find it much more convenient reading E-books and are highly in favor of reading E-

books. With the technological advancement of phones, tablets, laptops and e-readers, I think e-

books have become a popular reading standard for the youth and since E-books are more

accessible and can be read practically anywhere, it is expected that the young people will be

more fond of reading e-books.

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 Research Methodology

For my primary research, I have conducted an online survey questionnaire. All the questions

were related to the research topic. The questionnaire contained two parts; personal information

which consisted of Age and Gender. The second part concentrated on questions related to the

research. The survey for my research was carried out on 81 youths mostly from Dhaka city.

For my secondary research I collected information from various sources such as libraries, web

and consulted a few books, magazines and newspaper. Information for my secondary research

was mostly collected from standard search engines such as Google, and also from large reference

sites and news sites.

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 Data Representation and Analysis

In order to collect sufficient data about the practice of reading E-books among youth I have

conducted a survey questionnaire, questioning various aspects on my topic. The data collected

helped me to draw conclusions about my research topic. The questions were completed by 81

youths of whom there were 44 females and 37 male ranging from an age group of 18-30. The

data collected is presented and analyzed in the following pages.

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In my first question, I asked the respondents whether they read E-books or not. This was asked to

know how popular E-book is among the youngsters and to know whether a greater percentage of

young people are involved in reading E-books or not. Approximately 76.50% said yes they read

E-books and 23.50% said so they don’t read E-books. A pie chart representing the data is given

in Figure.1

Figure 1: Do you read E-books?

The data collected clearly shows the number of young people in our country who read E-books.

This suggests that most of them read E-books or have the practice of reading E-books. It also

shows that E-books are quite popular among the youngsters of our country and the result also

matches my hypothesis.

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My second question to the respondents was how often they read E-books? This was asked to get

the idea of how much time they spend on reading E-books. The results were quite unexpected.

Approximately 38.7% said that they read E-books sometimes, 22.5% reported that they rarely

read E-books, 20% said that they do not read E-books that much and 18.8% said that they read

E-books a lot. A pie chart representing the data is given in Figure.2

Figure 2: How often do you read E-books?

The data collected shows the extent to which young people in our country are reading E-books.

The result indicates that although there are a certain percentage of people who rarely read E-

books but compared to that a greater percentage of young people sometimes read E-books.

However it is surprising that a very small percentage of young people read E-books frequently or

regularly and therefore this goes against my hypothesis.

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My next question to the respondents was how E-books have they read in the past year. This was

asked to know for how long they have the practice of reading E-books. 45% said that they have

read some of them, 23.8% said that they have read at least one of them, 16% said that they have

read many of them and 15% said that they have read none. The bar graph shows the data in

Figure.3

Figure 3: How many E-books have you read in the past year?

Majority of the respondents said that they have read some of them and this gives the idea that a

higher percentage of young people have the practice of reading E-books and they do like reading

E-books although a small percentage have also stated that they have read none and this suggests

that a small number of young people also dislike reading E-books.

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My fourth question was related to the devices that they use for reading E-books. This tells us

which electronic device is mostly preferred by the youngsters while reading on screen. 59.5%

said that they read E-books on smartphone, 20.3% said that they read E-books on iPad/tablet,

17.70% said that they read E-books on laptop and 2.50% said that they read E-books on E-

reader. The bar graph shows the data in Figure.4

Figure.4: Where do you read E-books?

The data collected shows that the majority likes to read from their smartphones. It indicates that

increased usage of electronic devices has enhanced reading e-books. Most of the youngsters in

our country have their own smartphones and tablets and since these are the two most commonly

used electronic devices so people prefer to read more from them.

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In my next question I asked whether E-books have helped them to increase their reading

capacity. As E-books can be read anywhere and at any time people tend to read more. 36.7%

believe that it has enhanced their reading capacity a lot, 30.4% believe that it has slightly

improved their reading capacity, 30.4% believe that it has no impact on their reading capacity

and 2.50% believe that it has diminished their reading capacity. A doughnut graph representing

the data is given in Figure.5

Figure.5: Did E-books help you to increase your reading capacity?

The information from the question show that a higher percentage believe that it has enhanced

their reading capacity while an equal percentage of people believe that that it has slightly

improved or has no impact on their reading capacity. This indicates that E-books tend to increase

the reading capacity of the people may be because they are able to carry more books and hence

are able to read more. This also matches my hypothesis.

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The next question queries about why do young people prefer to read E-books. This helped to

understand the main reason for which E-book is becoming an increasingly common format of

reading among the youth. 44.4% chose that it enables them to carry an entire library in their

pocket, 34.6% chose that it is more convenient to read from electronic devices, 13.60% chose

that it has lower price than print books so they read E-books and 7.40% chose that they have a

tendency of reading faster when they read E-books. A pie chart has been used to show the data in

Figure 6.

Figure 6: Why do you read E-books?

The result indicates that majority of the youth of our country prefer to read E-books because it

enables them to carry a large number of books with them so they able to read them whenever and

wherever they want to. Hence convenience and ability to carry many books are the main benefits

that e-books offer to the readers.

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In the next question the respondents were asked about the main usefulness of reading E-books.

34.6% opted for it enables to carry the books everywhere, 34.6% opted for easy to purchase or to

download, 18.50% opted for it enhances the reading habit of the young people and 12.30% opted

for it takes less space. A pie chart representing the data is given in Figure.7

Figure.7: According to you what is the main usefulness of reading E-books?

The data collected shows that an equal percentage of the respondents consider the ability to carry

the books everywhere and to purchase or to download easily are the two main usefulness of

reading E-books.

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In my last question I have asked the respondents that although E-books are convenient and

popular among the youth, why the rest of the population doesn’t read it. This was asked to figure

out the reason why some people do not like to read E-books. 46.9% believes that some people

prefer reading paper books as they feel turning pages is physically and mentally satisfying,

23.5% believes that some people feel it is soul satisfying to have bookshelves filled with favorite

books, 18.50% believes that older people are not using electronic devices as much as the younger

people and 11.10% believes that people are reluctant to change their reading habit. The bar graph

is used to show the data in Figure.8

Figure 8: Although E-books are convenient and popular among the youth, why doesn’t the
rest of the population use it?
It indicates that some people like the feel of holding the normal print books and hence they don’t

prefer reading e-books and are in favor of reading paperbacks. This also suggests that paperbacks

offer readers some experiences that e-books cannot.

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 Summary of Research Findings

At the end of the research, most of my hypothesis was proven correct. Therefore through my

research survey I have found out that a greater percentage of the young people are fond of

reading E-books which matches my hypothesis. In respect to the extent youngsters read E-books

we can see that most of the young people read E-books sometimes but surprisingly a small

number of respondents read E-books frequently. We can also conclude that most of the young

people have read at least some of the E-books which clearly indicates that there is a growing

practice of reading e-books among the youth of Bangladesh.

The majority of the respondents claimed that the most preferable device for reading on screen is

smartphones and this is obvious because almost all the youngsters of our country owns a

smartphone and hence they tend to find it easier to read from their phone. Moreover many people

also agreed that E-books have enhanced their reading capacity a lot which can also be an

important advantage for the readers.

It can also be concluded that reading E-books became popular among youth mainly because it

enables an individual to carry an entire library in his/her pocket, rather than taking the trouble of

carrying the regular book. Furthermore a digital library is infinitely portable, taking up no

physical space. Also they are easy to purchase or to download and these tend to be the main

usefulness of E-books according to the respondents. However there are still many people who

don’t find it convenient to read on screen and the respondents claimed that it is because they find

the feel and utility of paper books more satisfying. Thus from all the responses it can be

concluded that E-books are gaining popularity among the youth.

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 Recommendations

From the data collected in my research it is evident that E-books play a key role in providing the

young generation with increased opportunities for reading and learning. The importance of E-

books should be highly recognized because it can also contribute in the development of the

education sector of our country. E-books are environmentally friendly so they can be effectively

used by the schools and since the student of this generation tend to be tech-savvy so E-books are

likely to have positive impact on their studies. This can also be a great way to promote E-books

and encourage more young people to build up their practice of reading E-books.

Conclusion

Reading E-books have become an important part of many young people’s daily activites as they

found reading E-books more interesting than regular books. Although it is true that many young

people are still not reading E-books on a regular basis but the popularity of E-books among the

youth is certainly increasing. However, children and young people who enjoy reading, and read

frequently, are known to be more likely to perform better academically. Thus E-book is a great

way to help children to enjoy reading more, and motivating them to read more often and at the

same time it is important to recognize that the use of E-books is becoming an increasingly

important part of students’ literacy learning.

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 References

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&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=youth%20addicted%20to%20e-books&f=false

Coughlan, S. (2013, May). Young people 'prefer to read on screen. BBC News. Retrieved from:
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Konnikova, M. (2014, July 16). Being a better online reader. The New Yorker. Retrieved from:
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and Young Adults, 1, Retrieved from: http://www.yalsa.ala.org/jrlya/

Picton, I. (2014, September). The impact of E-books on the reading motivation and reading skills
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Sachs, A. (2011, March). The E-Book era is here: Best sellers go digital. Time, Retrieved from:
http://content.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2060535,00.html

Springen, K. (2012, February). Are teens embracing E-books?. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved
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