4.4 Myth #4 Technology is killing children’s Reading for Pleasure

Children’s and young people’s activities using digital technology is often portrayed negatively in the press. There can be a tendency to take a dichotomous view of printed and digital texts, yet it is clear that children move fluidly and often effortlessly between different media, depending on the purpose and their preference (Kucirkova and Cremin, 2020).

Both print and digital texts can be well authored, engaging and evoke interest and enjoyment; both formats can also be badly written and unengaging. What matters is that children have access to a wide range of reading materials, develop broad repertoires of textual knowledge and build positive reader identities.