Is There a Gender Gap?

Gender Specific Toys squidoo.com

Most have us have grown up with the idea that there are girl toys and boy toys. Girls get dolls and boys get blocks. Of course this is a total stereotype, but unfortunately it is still true in our society. Even when we look at the newest toys for children they are gender oriented.

Leapfrog has created child versions of a computer or iPad and there are pink and purple ones for girls and green and blue ones for boys. But even with all of these societal pressures is there really a difference between girls and boys? Do we view technology differently?

In a study done on middle school kids in Texas researcher, Dara Williams-Rossi, discovered that boys who were given e-readers found them very valuable. But in that same study the researcher found that girls did not feel the same way. The boys found that the e-reader made them value reading more and that they actually enjoyed it where girls valued reading less and had a lower self concept of their reading skills.

 This study is not completely finished. It is a three year study and they are only half way through, so the results may change as technology becomes more important to us. As for now it seems that girls prefer traditional books over digital; and boys prefer digital over traditional. Will we ever agree on anything?

Boys Love 'em! blackandmarriedwithkids.com

This study also found that middle school children read less than younger students. As children get older they view reading as "boring" and would rather be hanging out with friends or playing video games. Maybe by making reading "cool" again with the new digital books children will find it more fun. I hope that children will once again find the joy of reading. It has been such a wonderful thing for me that I want others to experience it as well.

As we move forward into a world filled with technology i hope that our younger generation of girls can embrace it like the boys seem to. If we want a world of equality we all must be able to do the same work with quality results. But in the world of books maybe staying with the traditional is a completely bad idea? I guess we will see!

The New Fashion Accessory?

Showing who you are in your own way facebook.com

Many of us know that an outfit is only as good as the accessories we add to it. Maybe it is the same way with our electronic devices! We have the option of "dressing up" our electronics to match our personalities or to fit our mood for that particular day...or e-cessorize!

We live in an era when being your own individual person is a very popular idea. With all of the possibilities out there you can create your own individual look to your electronics. But these products are being massed produced...what happens when we meet someone who has the same accessories as us? is it the same as showing up to a party wearing the same thing as someone else?

Maybe these accessories are not just to individualize, maybe it is a way to fit in. Is it now the cool thing to do? if you are walking around with your e-reader and you have no case on it and your cell phone is just a phone and your laptop does not have a fancy case are you now considered a loser? I have asked so many questions but i think these are things we need to consider as consumers.

The new term e-cessorize means to show your personality through electronic accessories. An article by Meghan Schiller explains how consumers feel about these products and why they buy them. People in  the article said that they were willing to spend the money have products that would make them happy. Or parents were willing to spend the money to make sure their kids would fit in.

Which ones will you buy? ereadercovers.net

The trend has become so popular that presidential candidates have even begun to make their own accessories. Ron Paul and Rick Santorum both have their own iPhone covers. This new way of expressing yourself seems almost equal to putting a bumper sticker on your car or a sign in your front yard.

It is easy to see that with all of the profits these companies are gaining from the devices themselves and then the profits of all the available accessories on top of that these companies are going to try to keep the trend going. Not all of these accessories are just for looks. There are things you can attach to your phone battery to make it last longer and the e-reader cases protect the devices as well as make it pretty. As a consumer you must decide what is more important to you and how you think your money should be spent. (edited March 22, 2012)    

Are E-reader and Traditional Books Equal?

Which will you choose? blog.sherweb.com

Like most people I assumed that with the invention of the e-reader traditional book sales would go down. And in the beginning they did, but now an article in the Huffington Post is saying that they are equal!

According to this article traditional books are in demand just as much as the e-reader books. There are people in this world, like me, who are avid book readers but will never own an e-readers because we love holding a real book and turning the pages. But for others it is a game of convenience, and let's face it e-readers are convenient.

This article has many testimonials from book readers and authors. Many say that they have both form of books, traditional and e-readers, and read them both about the same. One author, Maddie Dawson, says she believes e-readers are better for authors because it allows readers to go to their sites and learn about their other books and order them instantly. Dawson also goes on to state that she herself will never own an e-reader.Barbie Larimore, BookBundlz.com founder, says that there are equal amounts of traditional book readers and e-readers in the book club.

Does one have to win? speculativebookreview.blogspot.com

Another clue that shows that traditional books are not going away is the news of Amazon opening a physical store. According to reports Amazon has decided to open a store in Seattle, WA. Which is the base of their online operation. In this store Amazon plans to sell the Kindle and Kindle accessories. They also plan on selling traditional books in the store. According to a blog, on pcworld.com, Amazon plans to open this store later this year. This is a trial run to see how customers will react to the idea. If this goes well maybe we will see Amazon stores across the country.

With Amazon opening a traditional store to compete in the retail market and the sale of traditional books staying equal with that of e-readers we can expect to see a future full of books. While e-readers allow the frequent traveler the option of carrying only one device and many books there are others who prefer those many books. Many readers say it is too hard for them to finish a book on their e-reader because they can not stand to look at a screen anymore. For this problem many people buy the e-book and later buy the traditional book at a discounted price. Books are here to stay! (edited March 22, 2012)