Gilbert, Julie, and Barbara Fister. “Reading, Risk, and Reality: College Students and Reading for Pleasure.” College & Research Libraries, vol. September 2011, 2011, pp. 474-495.
In their study, Gilbert and Fister explored the concept of recreational reading among college students. The term refers to leisure and voluntary reading of self-selected literature for a range of personal and social purposes. Leisure reading can take place within and outside the assigned curriculum-associated literature. The researchers conducted a small-scale exploratory survey of writing instructors by exploring conflicting claims about the purposes of reading made by literature teachers. In addition, the sample included students enrolled in an elective course on culture and books to determine what motivates their feelings to learn. It was found that even though students do not have much time to engage in leisure reading during the school year, they have strong positive feelings about it, and such feelings extend to a wide range of reading choices. Compared to the study by Oriogu et al. and the research by Nie and Hullygus, the article was the only one showing a positive perception of reading for pleasure. The study is highly important for delivering that despite the existing misconceptions about reading for pleasure, students do find it important, although they rarely have time to read a lot.
Nie, Norman, and Sunshine Hillygus. “The Impact of Internet Use on Sociability: Time-Diary Findings.” IT & Society, vol. 1, no. 1, 2009, pp. 1-20.
In the article by Nie and Hillygus, the scholars explored the complicated ways in which digital media influenced interpersonal communication and sociability within the population. The concept of sociability is defined as the quality of liking to meet other people and spend time with them. The researchers hypothesized that Internet use at home has a strong negative influence on time spend on face-to-face interactions with friends or families. Using a survey methodology, the researchers could examine the relationship between Internet use and time spent on social activities and interpersonal relationships. It was revealed that in personal life, time spent on the Internet at home was correlated with less time spent with friends and family. In contrast, the use of the Internet at work has little to no effect on sociability. The research supports the findings by Oriogu by showing that the value of face-to-face social interactions decreases with the use of social media and digital interactions. In summary, it should be noted that when studying the social benefits of interaction in real life could have social detriments.
Oriogu, Daniel, et al. “Effect of Reading Habits on the Academic Performance of Students: A Case Study of the Students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.” Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, vol. 2, no. 5, 2017, pp. 74-80.
In their study, Oriogu et al. explored the effects of reading habits on the academic success and performance of students. The reading habits were conceptualized as the patterns of behaviors associated with reading for pleasure that could either positively or negatively influence language proficiency, learning, study strategies, and particular personal characteristics. The scholar used a questionnaire as the primary research instrument. The findings of the study suggested that most of the participants were not used to dedicate their time to reading and purposely read to pass their exams, self-development, and the development of spoken and written English. Therefore, instead of reading for pleasure, the research participants read their notebooks, textbooks, and electronic resources that pertained to their areas of study. Compared to research by Gilbert and Fister that found that students had positive attitudes to reading, Oriogu et al. did not illustrate such attitudes. In contrast, the study pointed to the increased use of social media platforms instead of reading for pleasure. Therefore, the study showed that academic reading prevailed over reading for pleasure and that students were more interested in social media use.