Books reshaping reading habits in the digital era

HYDERABAD: An interesting panel discussion on the topic ‘Books in the Digital Era’ was held on Saturday during the 37th Hyderabad Book Fair.

The discussion offered a nuanced look at the evolution of reading habits in a heavily digital driven world.

The hour-long session, chaired by Prof. Vijay Kumar, saw readers and book lovers sharing personal stories, insights and some hard truths about how we consume stories today.

Aparna Thakur, who has been running a children’s library for eight years, spoke about the challenges she faced during the pandemic.

“I started the library to encourage children to come and read books. When hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, I started an Instagram page, which received an amazing response. After the pandemic, more children began visiting after reading our reviews online,” she said and added that parents and children still prefer physical books over digital ones.

However, statistics suggest an undeniable rise of e-books and audiobooks.

According to a recent report, global e-book revenues are projected to grow to $15 billion by 2025, with India being one of the fastest-growing markets.

Usha Raman, one of the panellists, pointed out that digital reading isn’t merely about convenience but also about creating a new relationship with the text. “This generation is very active on digital platforms. When reading digitally, people can bookmark their favourite parts or share lines they love on social media. It creates a new kind of connection with the text,” she said.

At the same time, Aparna Rayaprolu cautioned against the pitfalls of the digital deluge, stating, “Everything is so accessible now, whether it’s e-books, articles or audiobooks. It’s wonderful to have so much at our fingertips, but there’s a catch. Many people download books and then never get around to reading them.”

This implies that the actual time spent on reading downloaded books is not as encouraging.

However, there is no denying the democratisation of access to literature owing to technology. Writers can also reach audiences they might not have been able to through traditional publishing.

Poornima Tammireddy explained how digital platforms proved invaluable when she worked on translating Manto’s writings into Telugu.

“I read his essays, reviews, and stories online, which helped me to write with more precision. Of the 40 stories I’ve written, only two made it to print. The ones published digitally received an incredible response,” she shared.