Right now my "pay the bills" job is as a motor skills and developmental gymnastics instructor. A friend of mine recently chimed in while I was describing it to someone: “Don’t lie! You mean you PLAY with kids all day!” To an extent, he’s right. But on the other end of the spectrum, the serious end, working with kids has gotten me thinking about the status of reading among young children and how we, as future book editors, publishers, and marketers, can encourage reading in an era where kids are plugged into electricity nearly 100% of the time.
Consider this story relayed to me on Friday by my co-worker: While I was teaching a class, she spent 45 minutes playing with the older brother (he’ll be five in February) of one of my students. He typically brings his Gameboy (or whatever it is that is the current version. I’m clueless.) but forgot it on Friday. My co-worker asked him what he usually does besides his Gameboy. His response? “Play on the computer.’ She asked him what he does when he’s not on the computer. “Watch TV.” She finally asked him if he ever did anything that didn’t involve electricity and explained to him what that meant. He said he, “sometimes plays outside, but it’s boring. All there is out there is grass.” What stood out to me was not so much the lack of physical activity (the family is, at least, active members of my employer), but the lack of educational stimulation and reading.
One could argue that maybe he is only one child, but I see enough kids on a regular basis—over 125 per week—that I feel I can safely assert that he is only one of many in similarly “plugged in” situations. A parent recently told me that she thinks her daughter is so verbal because of all the shows she watches, not because of socialization or other influencing factors.
As lovers of books ourselves, how can we make reading and books exciting enough that kids will want to read instead of grouping books with playing outside because they’re boring? Is there a way that we can do this without utilizing the electronics we ultimately want them to learn that it’s okay to turn off? I’m not sure. The duality of paper and technology has worked for blockbuster books like Harry Potter and Twilight, both of which slowly gained followings before exploding in popularity. Can it work for non-best-sellers, or does a book need to be a blockbuster before interactive websites can play a vital role in encouraging kids to read? When parents don’t take it upon themselves to encourage reading, instead fostering technological media, how much harder do publishers and marketers have to work to capture a child’s interest?
The question is not whether or not viral marketing is the way of the future--I think we've all shown that we suspect that by enrolling in this course. The question, I think, is how to discourage constant connectivity while using technology to encourage reading. It seems like somewhat of a paradox to me, and definitely a mixed message for kids. I guess we’ll find out as viral marketing continues to expand. Thoughts?
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2 comments:
Yeah, when I was a kid (began the old man) we were pretty much required to play outside for a certain amount of time everyday. As a matter of fact, sometimes my dad had to force me to quit reading and sent me to play with my friends.
It is an interesting question that you propose. As possible future marketers what kind of messages do we send to kids about the importance of reading when we are trying to sale them a product online? What sort of responsibilities do companies have in regards to our children and society as a whole? I think there is a way to participate in marketing, advertising, and promotion in responsible and ethical ways but doing so requires contemplation and perhaps, some difficult choices.
Moving images are so seductive, it's difficult to compete. Part of the answer seems to be the book as computer. Also, it's no surprise that graphic novels are being embraced by generations who grew up in an image-saturated world. In any event, it does seem like we are going to have to broaden our definition of what a book actually is.
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