tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/e-readers-7193/articlesE-readers – The Conversation2021-08-18T14:41:50Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1655622021-08-18T14:41:50Z2021-08-18T14:41:50ZHow older people are mastering technology to stay connected after lockdown<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416754/original/file-20210818-15-1oayf6m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4565%2C3018&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/photo-senior-man-using-smartphone-set-265218128">Tomertu/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s a well-worn stereotype: the image of an elderly person fiddling with technology that leaves them completely bamboozled. The media often depict older people struggling to use or manage digital technology. While this is often designed to be humorous, it can undermine them as users of technology. And that’s a problem if it turns older people off from trying to engage with digital devices, as it can affect their wellbeing.</p>
<p>Older adults are already at a digital disadvantage: <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2021/digital-divide-narrowed-but-around-1.5m-homes-offline">18% of over-65s</a> do not have internet access. Propelled by enforced isolation, older people increasingly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/mar/10/computers-are-marvellous-older-people-embrace-internet-in-lockdow">turned to technology</a> during the pandemic, but not all were able to connect or communicate with friends and family via the internet. </p>
<p>Of course some older people have less experience of digital technology than others, and unsurprisingly <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/is-it-love-or-loneliness-exploring-the-impact-of-everyday-digital-technology-use-on-the-wellbeing-of-older-adults/F391725A9584A666B1EDCEC68E03BCF3">describe mixed emotions</a> regarding the use of everyday devices such as smartphones, laptops, e-readers and tablets. They also report not having much confidence when it comes to using them. Lack of control, a sense of being overwhelmed, and poor product design can lead to feelings of being incompetent, alone and even trapped. </p>
<p>Yet for those who persevere, the rewards can be plentiful: completing tasks more easily, communicating more effectively, increased independence and a sense of achievement. These things are important if this growing part of the population is to experience ageing in a more positive and empowering way. </p>
<p>Through <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2021.1945662?src=">our research</a> we wanted to examine these mixed emotions that older people have about using technology, and how they develop ways to combat the challenges they face. While digital technology has been shown to alleviate pressure on health and social care, until now there’s been a limited understanding of how using technology influences the way older adults live. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rSWbgNAgAE8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Attitudes towards technology</h2>
<p>While many see digital technology as a challenge to be conquered, there are different ways of overcoming or confronting the obstacles. Some may view the challenge as a personal goal, using instruction manuals or simply trial and error to prevail over software updates, unwanted viruses or junk mail.</p>
<p>Others view digital technology as a collective endeavour, asking friends and family for help. Not only is this the most successful strategy, it also fosters important interaction with others. For example, during the pandemic many <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2021/digital-divide-narrowed-but-around-1.5m-homes-offline">younger people acted</a> as IT support for older friends and relatives.</p>
<p>Not all elderly people have this kind of network, but arguably they can benefit most from greater use of the internet to feel connected and keep loneliness at bay. In these situations, there are useful schemes run by charities such as Age UK, where <a href="https://www.ageuk.org.uk/discover/2021/june/digital-champions/">digital champions</a> can help older adults master technology.</p>
<h2>Adopting strategies</h2>
<p>Understandably frustrations emerge when learning a new skill, but some older people have shown how they overcome their exasperation by developing a relationship with their devices. Naming their tablet or humanising their phone helps to bond older people to technology.</p>
<p>In our study different devices were often referred to as having a personality, gender, or even a mind of their own. This strategy brings a little levity to a situation that could otherwise be stressful.</p>
<p>Once these people become more used to digital technology, familiarity can encourage continued use. With a new device, software and apps they know and understand can be downloaded so that it feels less alien. Similarly, if a touchscreen is problematic, some older people might decide to use a keyboard and mouse instead.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An older black women on her laptop smiling and looking happy." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416759/original/file-20210818-13-dou8fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416759/original/file-20210818-13-dou8fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416759/original/file-20210818-13-dou8fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416759/original/file-20210818-13-dou8fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416759/original/file-20210818-13-dou8fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416759/original/file-20210818-13-dou8fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416759/original/file-20210818-13-dou8fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Being able to use technology keeps older people connected and reduce feelings of isolation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-asian-retired-woman-use-notebook-1681881598">M2020/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Breeding confidence</h2>
<p>Using technology at any age can have its pros and its cons, but our research reveals that older adults can offer a unique perspective. Using lifelong wisdom, they can take a step back and acknowledge that technology has its faults. If things go wrong, their judgement and experience is useful in helping to understand that the key to using technology is persistence. One participant, Christopher, 83, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There’s one sure thing: life will come to an end, and technology will always go wrong. My son’s partner sends me texts from their holiday in Tunis. When I try to reply I keep getting ‘no service’ and my message is refused … [but] I know they will be worried if they don’t get a reply. When I was a kid, Tunis was a distant desert war zone, with cinema newsreels a week later … and here’s me now, whingeing about lack of instant contact.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These findings are significant for technology development, marketing and customer services. Designing technology for older people should be based on their experiences and offer continuity. Digital devices need to include familiar commands, buttons, screens, and add-ons to previous models. This will enhance the ability to get to grips with updates and developments. And in turn this will help foster social connections as well as boost independence and confidence.</p>
<p>Stereotyping of older people also needs to stop. Experience and perspective should be acknowledged, respected and reflected in marketing campaigns. Messaging should underscore the potential benefits of mastering technology, emphasising the importance of being connected and socially involved to a person’s independence.</p>
<p>Finally, customer service should be easily accessible and well versed in issues older people face to provide the necessary support, building on schemes offered by Age UK’s digital champions. Clearly there is a crucial role for friends, family, and communities to ensure that older people remain socially active, engaged and connected through technology. Their wellbeing may depend on it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165562/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Older people are often labelled technophobic, but since lockdown the digital divide is closing as more and more use technology to connect with others.Carolyn Wilson-Nash, Lecturer, Marketing and Retail, Stirling Management School, University of StirlingJulie Tinson, Professor of Marketing, University of StirlingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/260662014-04-30T17:24:48Z2014-04-30T17:24:48ZWith just a smartphone up your petticoat, you can now read Mills & Boon anywhere<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47380/original/mqf5nj2m-1398844803.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C126%2C1600%2C1288&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is that a Kindle in your pocket? Then I'm just not interested.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/vankeefer/5945677520/sizes/l">VanKeefer</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Mills & Boon, the guilty pleasure of many a reader over the decades, is shunning the Kindle in favour of launching its <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mills-boon/id813791429?mt=8">own app</a>.</p>
<p>You can now download your favourite bodice ripper and read it discreetly on your phone. Mills & Boon is certainly taking a gamble here but the payoff could be much bigger than just selling a few novels.</p>
<p>Digital publishing has revolutionised books and reading in a number of ways over the past few years. First technology changed the way we bought books, as Amazon and other online stores emerged, taking custom from traditional high-street bookstores. Then technology changed how we read books as we switched from paper format to ebooks, e-readers and applications for tablets and mobile devices.</p>
<p>And then technology even changed the way we published books. The digital format means that it is cheaper, faster and easier to produce a book and the associated ecosystem of online distributors like Amazon, e-readers and other mobile devices and, later, social media, make it easier to make it a success.</p>
<p>In the meantime, new market leaders emerged, while old ones faded away or disappeared all together. Most have tried to adapt to the changing consumer behaviour and expectations. That’s exactly what Mills & Boon is doing now.</p>
<p>Mills & Boon is a publisher specialising in romance and known for its escapist novels. Titles such as The Billionaire’s Pregnant Mistress, The Spanish Groom and Count Giovanni’s Virgin, come with varying levels of explicitness but the happy ending is an omni-present theme.</p>
<p>The company says it is simply responding to customer behaviour and demand in launching the app. “We just want our readers to find the books in the places that they want to buy them,” <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27131182">said</a> Joanna Kite, Mills & Boon’s marketing manager, in a recent interview with the BBC, adding that the app allows readers to “discover, shop, share and read”. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=965&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1212&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1212&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47412/original/8b8mcg4h-1398862111.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1212&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A classic M&B title.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_and_kerry/3451465106/sizes/o/">Jim Barker</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The app is also a logical progression for the company’s digital strategy. The company has already embraced digital technology, not only selling books online but also publishing its titles in electronic format. Indeed, e-book purchases quickly <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17961137">surpassed</a> physical sales once the service was offered. This is in part because e-readers allow for discretion. Mills and Boon fans can read the books anywhere, no matter how explicit, using an e-reader without anyone knowing what they were up to. But it is also because the format allows for quick access to a new title as soon as the last is finished. Mills and Boon has long been known for quickly producing new titles and for providing books that can be read speedily.</p>
<p>Still, as Michael Tamblyn, president of e-reader company Kobo, has <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27131182">noted</a>, it is very difficult to keep up with the rate of change of technology in this field. That’s why he recommends sticking to what you know.</p>
<p>Mills & Boon certainly faces technical challenges, as noted by Tamblyn. It costs money to maintain and update an app, for example. But most importantly, we have to wonder if having your own app, as opposed to using Amazon’s kindle app, is the best way to reach customers.</p>
<p>While the internet helps companies reach customers all over the world, this potential only materialises if customers find the website. Amazon is a widely known online retailer, and Kindle is practically synonymous with e-reader.</p>
<p>Then, there is Amazon’s famous algorithm, which is used to present product recommendations to users based on their previous purchase and browsing history. That makes the Kindle app the perfect environment for new authors and works to be discovered.</p>
<p>Of course Mills & Boon doesn’t need that. It is one of the most established names in publishing, has a powerful resonance with readers of the romance genre in particular and its customers are loyal. It might be difficult for other publishers to survive in a market too heavily dominated by Amazon, but Mills and Boon is well placed to strike out.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/47313/original/dq8qgsqm-1398803604.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Weighing up the move to an app.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And an app is not just a way to sell books. It is a way to strengthen ties with customers. A distribution channel is an information channel between the firm and the customer. The app can be used to push information to customers about products, customers reviews or upcoming launches and even for broadcasting interviews with authors. And they can collect information from customers, such as download patterns or reading behaviours, which they can use to inform new product development.</p>
<p>So while an app is a bold move and a potential burden, an app is an enticing option for a big company like Mills & Boon, even if it isn’t an option for smaller names. Innovating in this way should help ensure we continue to delve into romance novels for many years to come, even when we’ve long forgotten what a love letter written on paper looks like.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/26066/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ana Isabel Domingos Canhoto does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Mills & Boon, the guilty pleasure of many a reader over the decades, is shunning the Kindle in favour of launching its own app. You can now download your favourite bodice ripper and read it discreetly…Ana Isabel Domingos Canhoto, Senior Lecturer Marketing, Oxford Brookes UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/183012013-09-18T23:16:04Z2013-09-18T23:16:04ZE-readers prove easy on the eye for dyslexics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/31487/original/5t9fybvw-1379434525.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">New tech open avenues for dyslexic readers.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">thequietlibrary</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Using an e-reader may help some dyslexic students understand what they read more effectively, researchers at Harvard University argue.</p>
<p>In a paper published in the journal <a href="http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0075634">PLOS One</a>, the authors found that a group of dyslexic teenagers showed greater reading comprehension when using an iPod e-reader than when asked to read from paper. The e-reader was formatted to display around nine lines of text on the screen at a time, with only two or three words in each line, leaving fewer visual distractions. The authors therefore concluded that this improvement is due to the reduced demands on visual attention when reading from the iPod.</p>
<p>While the dominant theoretical explanation of dyslexia lies in phonological processing, or understanding the sound structure of speech, there is growing evidence that dyslexia is caused by multiple factors. This includes difficulties in visual attention. It seems that some, but not all, dyslexics have difficulties in processing detailed visual information.</p>
<p>In normal reading, there is a sensitive and highly efficient link between eye movements and understanding what we read. People often believe that when we read, our eyes move continuously and gradually, but that is not the case. Eye movements when reading involve a series of short “jumps” or saccades, followed by a brief period of stillness while the brain processes the letters in front of the eyes. The “visual span” is the number of letters that can be processed during the period of stillness, before moving ones eyes again.</p>
<p>Problems in the text, such as typos or unknown words, prompt an almost immediate response, with eyes tracking backwards and forwards to check the surrounding context to help resolve the issue. This shows that we are interpreting what we read word by word, continually updating our understanding.</p>
<p>In skilled reading, this process is so automatic we hardly notice it. However, many dyslexic readers seem to have difficulties, including a shorter visual span and less efficient eye movements. The e-reader means that readers do not need to make these saccades in the same way, and their visual span is less crucial (since the lines of text are so short).</p>
<p>This study shows a significant interaction between visual span and method of reading. Using an iPod improves comprehension in those students with short visual spans, but it reduces comprehension in those with long or good visual spans. This very neatly shows that the visual abilities of the reader is crucial in predicting whether this method will be beneficial or not.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that e-readers may be a useful tool in the support of dyslexic students, since around a third of the students involved showed a better understanding of what they were reading when using an iPod. However, as the authors state, this would only ever be an adjunct to direct teaching and practise in reading in multiple contexts. They tested adolescent students in a specialist school for children with language learning impairments, and it is not clear that the findings can be extrapolated to older or younger readers, or less severely impaired students.</p>
<p>The study also has implications for our wider understanding of dyslexia. Historically, the evidence for the causal role of visual impairments in dyslexia has been mixed.</p>
<p>Some researchers have argued that, because of the close link between cognition and eye movements, the less efficient eye movements of dyslexic students might reflect their reading problems, rather than causing them. If many of the words that a reader encounters are unknown, they are likely to show many regressions, through checks forward and backward, to improve understanding.</p>
<p>However, the study shows this is not the full explanation. Simplifying the layout of text actually improves understanding in a third of these students, indicating that the eye movements themselves are making it harder for the dyslexic students to understand what they read.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/18301/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Carroll does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Using an e-reader may help some dyslexic students understand what they read more effectively, researchers at Harvard University argue. In a paper published in the journal PLOS One, the authors found that…Julia Carroll, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of WarwickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.