Some Thoughts on the Phenomenology of E-Reading and Dictation Technologies

By Robert Rosenberger
Georgia Institute of Technology, Associate Professor of Philosophy
DPU, Visiting Schola
Abstract
It is important to understand the devices we use to read and write not as innocent means of communication, but as actively mediating technologies with the potential to shape both our reading practices and writing content.  The different means of writing and reading can inform different ends for our printed words—be those words digital or ink.  Here I explore how a number of concepts from the philosophical tradition of phenomenology (and in particular the contemporary “postphenomenological” school of thought) can help tease out the tradeoffs involved in the use of current reading and writing devices. These ideas can be used to articulate what it’s like to read a physical book, compared to reading onscreen text, or what it’s like to write with a pen, compared to typing with a keyboard, or to composing written text by voice.  I focus on two such devices in particular: e-reading on internet-capable tablets and smartphones, and writing via dictation devices.  Ideas from the phenomenology of technology can help to draw out some dynamics of several pressing issues, including classroom distraction, and the dangers of texting while driving.

m-Reading: fiction reading from mobile devices

By Anezka Kuzmicova,
Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University, Post.doc.
DPU, Visiting Scholar
Abstract
Smart mobile phones are currently the most rapidly expanding e-reading device worldwide. However, the embodied, cognitive, and affective implications of their adoption in leisure reading (m-reading) have yet to be investigated empirically.    
Revisiting some of the leading research into the experience of digital reading, 4 novel research areas are identified wherein m-reading should be investigated with regard to its unique affordances. The areas are: Reader-device affectivity, situated embodiment, attention training, and long-term immersion.    
Our hypotheses within these areas complement the current debate on the negative implications of digitization, as we show how m-reading, specifically, may enhance rather than compromise readers’ engagement. Transdisciplinary research designs need to be developed for further exploration of these areas and hypotheses.

Contact: Stine Trentemøller stinet@edu.au.dk