eReaders for Elders
Ebooks: winners in the generation game
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/may/27/ebooks-growth-older-age...
- The Observer, Sunday 27 May 2012
New technology, like pop music or radical politics, is something you're expected to lose touch with as you get older. This idea is encouraged by the young, who would rather their elders gracefully embraced luddism than try to befriend them on Facebook. What's refreshing about e-reading is that it's not just popular with traditional early adopters; their parents are getting in on the act too.
According to market researcher Bowker, while younger people's ebook consumption is plateauing, in older age groups it continues to grow: more than a quarter of 45- to 55-year-olds and a fifth of over-55s bought an ebook in the six months to March 2012, up from 17% and 15% last November. A OnePoll survey last year found the over-55s were more likely to own an e-reader than 18- to 24-year-olds.
We shouldn't be too surprised: older people tend to be heavier book-buyers and baby-boomers keen technophiles. But e-readers have qualities that could make them indispensable to an ageing population.
An obvious plus is the option to adjust text size and contrast. Until recently, people with dodgy eyesight had to make do with large-print books, which are hard to get hold of, have a woeful range of titles and – worst of all – don't do much for one's street cred. Now, not only can you read filthy books without anyone noticing, you can read filthy books in an 18-point font.
For the elderly, e-readers have even greater potential. They are light, which is handy for arthritis sufferers, especially those with poor vision (large-print hardbacks weigh a ton). Devices with 3G are perfect for people who find it hard to get about, letting you download new books – and thousands of free classics – from the comfort of your armchair.
Perhaps the government could issue pensioners with a Kindle instead of a free TV licence? Not only would this add up to a saving of £56.50 per person, it might end up bailing out our sickly publishing industry. Older readers have a distinct advantage over younger ones: they are more willing to pay for what they read.
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That being said, I think a Tablet Computer is a better option than just an eReader. Kindle and Kobo are both available as free apps for Tablets and you are not tied to just one bookstore. Tablets have many other uses as well, such as email and snapshots.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joe Wasylyk on -
Seniors now have many book reading opportunities ranging from regular printed books to large print books to e-Readers and to Tablets.
To promote 'productive longevity' it would be interesting to get a List of eBooks that have been written and published by Zoomers.
To startup this initiative I would like to offer my own eBook titled: Encore! Encore! Seniors(50 Plus) As Entrepreneurs: Their Time Has Come This eBook is available on my website.
What are the other eBooks that are presently being written and published by our Zoomers? At the same time are there any Zoomers that are having some problems achieving this productive goal? If you are having any eBook production problems what are they? Let's see if we can get more Zoomers to become Authors and be able to contribute to this new 'productive longevity' Age of the Zoomer.
Joe W.
Seniorpreneur
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Permalink Reply by Werner on -
OK, so I'm an old codger (OK, 62 year old hippie, who's still stuck in the late sixties), not restricted by arthritis, but someone who has a lifelong love for reading, when my bookshelves became overwhelmed with books, I decided to get a Kobo e-reader, best thing I ever did, now I can go to our campsite on week-ends and the heaviest thing I have to lug is a case of beer, all my books fit within the confine of my e-reader and I don't have to worry about loosing my spot on the page, should I become distracted (lots of attractive women, OK just wishful dreaming) or pass our, (damn that beer)
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Permalink Reply by Joe Wasylyk on
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Werner,
Hi! Do you have any retirement plans yet? Are you looking ahead to when you will be 65+? My feeling is that if you are capable of buying an e Reader and you are passionate about reading, then I'm confident that you probably have a Dream that could encourage you to get out and help yourself and other people. I was in the same position at the Age 62 when I started to write my new book, Encore! Encore! I self-published both an eBook and a printed book. Do you have an inclination to do any creative writing? What kind of books do you read?
Joe W.
Seniorpreneur
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Permalink Reply by Werner on
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Hi Joe,
Yes I have plan in place and am moving along, The only writing I have done so far, is on my website, whenever I feel like it, I log onto to it and write some more, its basically about my lifelong passion about motorsport and how I became involved with it and what it has done to me, some days I can spend half a day at it, then I might not touch it for a few weeks or even month, its something that I would like to leave for my grand-kids, they know how grandpa is nuts about car racing, and hopefully once they get older, they will understand where I come from a bit better.
As far as reading, while I like books on history (I love medieval history) I'm more into escapism, suspense type of books, nothing to profound (I often find in these kinds of books that the writer or the subject are to full of themselves). I also have a number of interests beside reading, actually reading is but one of many interests that I'm involved with.
Joe Wasylyk said:Werner,
Hi! Do you have any retirement plans yet? Are you looking ahead to when you will be 65+? My feeling is that if you are capable of buying an e Reader and you are passionate about reading, then I'm confident that you probably have a Dream that could encourage you to get out and help yourself and other people. I was in the same position at the Age 62 when I started to write my new book, Encore! Encore! I self-published both an eBook and a printed book. Do you have an inclination to do any creative writing? What kind of books do you read?
Joe W.
Seniorpreneur
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