"I actually read more on my mobile than I used to. I think it is because I can carry my phone everywhere I go and it is quite easier than carrying a book, and it is always there when I want to read." (Tinashe, a student of Human Resource Management in Zimbabwe)
In today's fast-moving and globalised world we can hardly imagine a day without mobile phones. One of the most successful inventions of the 20th century, the mobile phone has become a convenient means of communication in both developed and developing countries. The United Nations estimates that 6 billion people now have access to a working mobile phone. Due to the ubiquity of mobile devices, UNESCO is investigating how they can be leveraged to advance literacy and reading. The book Reading in the Mobile Era: A Study of Mobile Reading in Developing Countries explains the habits, preferences and demographic profiles of mobile readers in developing countries. By painting a picture of how mobile reading is practised today and by whom, it offers insights into how mobile phone technology can be used to better facilitate reading in countries where literacy rates are low. The book also highlights current opportunities and challenges related to mobile reading, in order to inform the work of various stakeholders seeking to use mobile devices to increase reading on a large scale.
Based on a study conducted in seven developing countries, the book states that in absolute numbers, mobile readers are predominantly male. However, female users greatly outnumber males at higher level of usage, and female mobile readers spend significantly more time reading per month than males.
Although people of various ages use mobile technology to access reading material, mobile readers are typically young. Older people are noticeably absent from the survey data. Mobile readers tend to be more educated than the general population; and female mobile readers are more educated than males. The most active mobile readers are those who have achieved a diploma but have not completed a higher education degree such as a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD. Interestingly, mobile readers with higher education degrees are not the most active users, presumably because they have alternative channels through which to access reading material.
Originally, it was hypothesised that people read on mobile phones because they lack access to paper books and stories. The study indicates that, overwhelmingly, convenience ranks as the main reason people read on mobile devices in developing countries. Secondary reasons include affordability, a preference for mobile reading over paper books, and lack of access to paper books. The study also aims at examining mobile readers' reading habit which is revealed in two key trends: 1) Mobile readers read more than they did prior to reading on their phones, and 2) Mobile readers are reading books and stories to children from their mobile phones. The findings clearly indicate that mobile reading is opening up a new pathway to literacy for children. Findings show that mobile readers favour genres related to romance, education and religion, and that many mobile readers are also interested in subjects published in local languages. The largest obstacle to mobile reading is not cost but content, followed closely by connectivity issues.
Mobile reading opens new vistas of literacy for marginalised groups, particularly women and girls, and others, who may not have access to paper books. Mobile phones hold promise for improving female literacy, particularly in areas where paper books are inaccessible to women due to cost, scarcity, or social stigma attached to female education. In order to better reach these target groups, this study suggests adopting three broad strategies to extend the benefits of mobile reading to more people: 1) diversify mobile reading content and portals to appeal to specific target groups; 2) increase outreach efforts to create opportunities for potential users to experiment with mobile reading and learn about its benefits; and 3) lower cost and technology barriers to mobile reading.
To ensure that all people have equal opportunities to access reading materials through their mobile phones, governments should continue to work with mobile phone operators to improve infrastructure and guarantee reliable mobile broadband connectivity throughout their countries.
The study was completed by over 4,000 people in seven countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe) and supported by qualitative interviews with numerous respondents. The depth and breadth of data collection make this study the most comprehensive investigation of mobile reading in developing countries to date.
The book Reading in the Mobile Era - the first of its kind - is a roadmap for governments, organisations, professionals and individuals who wish to help people better leverage mobile technology for reading.
The writer is an independent researcher.
 smrayhanulislam@hotmail.com
Reading on mobile phones
S. M. Rayhanul Islam | Published: August 22, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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