Where have all the readers gone?

Sitting down and reading the newspaper would be the equivalent to sitting down and playing a nice game of Pong on an Atari. Why would I want to play Pong when I can play Madden or Call of Duty online with my with my friends on a Playstation 3 or X-Box 360?

The same could be said about taking the time to read. The invention of the Web has speeded up the process of life and made it easier to access information. There is so much information on the Web that readers don’t want to spend the time reading a whole article when they can jump to other articles and videos.

In class, it was mentioned that publishing companies were hurting in business because so many people are getting information on the Web now. Well Random Hose Publishing has taken a step in the right direction. The Widget option they added for their books is a great way to interact readers and get new people to their Web site.

That leads me to interaction. The Web has substituted reading for interaction and new media. It kind of goes back to Weinberg’s theory and the Web is all about communicating. Instead of reading a whole news story, I can watch a video clip or read a few bullet points on the topic and then leave a comment. Leave my point on the story.

Maybe when I get older I will learn to appreciate reading the same way I do the Atari. The Atari is a classic and it takes me back to simpler times. Maybe one day reading will do the same.