Have e-readers affected my reading habit in any significant way? The answer is a definite yes. Since I got my Amazon Kindle Oasis, I usually buy the ebook and audiobook of any particular book. I will start reading an ebook in my office during my spare times and when it is time for the thirty minutes’ drive back home, I flip to the audiobook and continue to listen from the place I left off. The moment I get home, I continue reading.

Apparently, I am not the only one whose reading habit has changed since I moved from reading hardcover books to ebooks. As early as 2012, the Internet & American Life Project conducted a research that showed that the reading culture of many has been transformed since the coming of electronic gadgets and more people tend to own electronic readers compared to a decade ago.

With my e-reader, I also noticed that I read more at night now compared to when I read the hardcover. I am generally attracted to books with a minimum of five hundred pages. From experience, larger books give the author the opportunity to express themselves and create better and vivid worlds. On print, these books are usually large and heavy. Carrying them to bed and flipping the pages often seem like a lot of work when I am tired. With e-readers, it is totally different. No matter how tired I may be, I am still able to read a couple of pages before dozing off.

E-Readers Have Also Affected Other Cultures Relating To Books

Ebooks are generally cheaper compared to paperbacks largely because of the difference in the cost of production. This difference—no matter how little it may seem in some cases—means a lot to those who are at the lower ebb of earning.

The effect of cost on reading culture and the attitude of Americans towards books was shown by the Pew Research Center in 2012. According to the center, seventy-eight percent of American adults read a book in the previous year. Out of this figure, fourteen percent borrowed their last book from a national library.

If the research was expanded, I believe it would have shown the alarming number of people that borrow books from family or friends like I used to do. Today, the low cost of ebooks has increased the inclination of Americans to purchase rather than to borrow.

Somehow, it is easier and more convenient to read ebooks than paperbacks. The research by Pew Research Center also found out that an average e-book reader read more books in a year when compared to those that read only paperbacks.

Other Ways E-Readers Are Changing Reading Habits

I read every genre of books including adult fiction. You know how awkward it seems when you open x-rated books in the subway or public places. The thought of prying eyes straining to see the book cover will make you lose focus at the text. E-reader takes care of that and I can easily read any book anywhere I want.