人们在阅读中寻求更多的安全性. 安德里·科布林/ Shutterstock
During times of crisis, people find themselves faced with lifestyle changes.在危机时期，人们发现自己面临着生活方式的改变。 One of the earliest and most noticeable changes seen during the COVID-19 lockdown was how we consume media — and especially how we read.在COVID-XNUMX锁定期间出现的最早且最明显的变化之一是我们如何消费媒体-尤其是我们如何阅读媒体。
人们往往会发现 某些书中的安慰以及阅读习惯和体裁偏好 可以改变 during periods of stress.在压力时期。 This helps to explain why much genre fiction has roots in times of significant social, political or economic upheaval.这有助于解释为什么很多类型小说都源于重大的社会，政治或经济动荡时期。 Gothic literature is, in part, a British Protestant哥特文学部分是英国新教徒 回应 法国大革命（1789-99）。
科幻小说，作为一种类型出现在 去世界受到工业革命和 理论 of Charles Darwin.查尔斯·达尔文The的 艰苦的侦探故事它出现于1930年代，其灵感来自大萧条的匮乏。
While it's still relatively early to see the influence of the coronavirus and the lockdown on creative industries, there were some striking patterns in media consumption in the early part of the pandemic.尽管现在还很早就看到冠状病毒的影响和封锁对创意产业的影响，但在大流行初期，媒体消费有一些惊人的模式。 Books about (literal and metaphorical) isolation, like Sylvia Plath's有关（文字和隐喻）隔离的书籍，例如Sylvia Plath的 钟罩 和加布里埃尔·加西亚·马克斯（GabrielGarcíaMarquez）的小说 一百年的孤独 和 在霍乱时期的爱情 在那些看到一个 销量大增。 （除了书本， 恐怖盛行; in particular, films about global pandemics such as特别是有关全球流行病的电影，例如 28天之后, 传染性及 暴发 是流媒体服务租金最高的地区之一。）
In view of these patterns of changing reading habits during times of upheaval and signs that such changes were happening during COVID-19, our team decided to research reading habits among the UK public.考虑到这些动荡时期阅读习惯发生变化的模式，以及在COVID-XNUMX期间出现这种变化的迹象，我们的小组决定研究英国公众的阅读习惯。 We were particularly interested in the following questions about the effects of the pandemic:我们对以下有关大流行病影响的问题特别感兴趣：
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有多少人在读书；
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人们一直在阅读什么类型的文本？
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人们在多大程度上已经恢复了以前看过的书。
As many as 860 participants took part in our online survey, which was advertised through social media.多达19名参与者参加了我们的在线调查，该调查通过社交媒体进行了广告宣传。 Our findings show that the COVID-XNUMX lockdown changed not only how people read during times of stress, but also what people turn to for comfort or distraction.我们的发现表明，COVID-XNUMX锁定不仅改变了人们在压力时期的阅读方式，而且改变了人们寻求安慰或分散注意力的方式。
阅读频率
Respondents generally reported that they were reading more than usual.受访者普遍表示，他们阅读的内容比平常多。 This was largely due to having more free time (due to being furloughed, or not having a commute, or the usual social obligations or leisure activities).这主要是由于有更多的空闲时间（由于休假，没有通勤或通常的社会义务或休闲活动）。
那些照顾孩子的人报告说，他们花更多的时间与孩子一起阅读。 rSnapshotPhotos / Shutterstock
This increased reading volume was complicated for those with caring responsibilities.对于负责任的人来说，阅读量的增加非常复杂。 Many people with children reported that their reading time had increased generally because of their shared reading with children, but had less time than normal for personal reading.许多有孩子的人报告说，由于与孩子们共同阅读，他们的阅读时间总体上有所增加，但个人阅读时间却比平常少。
Reading frequency was further complicated by a quality vs quantity snag.质量与数量的障碍使阅读频率更加复杂。 People spent more time reading and seeking escape, but an inability to concentrate meant they made less progress than usual.人们花更多的时间阅读和寻求逃生，但是无法专心致志意味着他们取得的进步比平常少。 In short, people spent more time reading but the volume they read was less.简而言之，人们花费更多的时间阅读，但阅读量却更少。
类型选择
尽管 早期数字 showing spikes in interest for content about pandemics and isolation, it appears that people quickly tired of these topics.对大流行和孤立的内容的兴趣激增，看来人们很快就厌倦了这些话题。 Many respondents sought out subject matter that was at least predictable, if not necessarily comforting.许多受访者寻找的主题至少可以预见，即使不一定令人欣慰。 Many found solace in the “security” of more formulaic genres (whodunnits and other types of thrillers were often cited).许多人在较为规范的体裁的“安全性”中找到了慰藉（经常提到那些蠢货和其他类型的惊悚片）。 Others found themselves significantly less picky about genre than they were before the lockdown: they read more, and more widely.其他人发现自己对类型的挑剔远不如锁定前那样：他们阅读更多，内容更广泛。
许多人发现锁定是一个很好的机会，可以探索他们通常没有时间或渴望阅读的东西（例如沉重而沉闷的经典作品，以至于无法通勤）或填补其他知识空白（抗议）警察的残酷和种族歧视经常被引为许多读者寻求非白人作者更多文章的催化剂。
重读
Much as with the choice of genre, readers generally fell into two camps: those that read for exploration and those that re-read for safety.与选择类型一样，读者通常分为两大阵营：为探索而读书的人和为安全而重读的人。 The re-readers found solace in previously read books: familiar plots and known emotional registers helped stressed-out readers avoid suspense and surprises.重读者在以前阅读的书中找到了安慰：熟悉的情节和已知的情感记录帮助压力重重的读者避免了悬念和惊喜。
Unsurprisingly, lockdown also made re-reading a physical necessity for some.毫不奇怪，锁定还使某些人重新阅读了实际需要。 Some respondents noted how they were unable to visit the library or browse at the bookshop for new books.一些受访者指出他们如何无法访问图书馆或无法在书店浏览新书。 Others reported that they simply wished to save money.其他人则报告说，他们只是希望省钱。 On the other hand, the participants who reported re-reading less than normal during the lockdown period wanted to use their newfound time to seek out new topics and genres.另一方面，在锁定期间报告的重读少于正常水平的参与者希望利用他们新发现的时间来寻找新的话题和体裁。
两组还使用不同的隐喻来描述他们的经历：一些非重读者谈论时间是一种商品（例如，重视阅读新事物），而重读者讨论了轻松旅行的能力，以及毫不费力地熟悉熟悉的地方，人物和经历。
我们的研究 shows that the lockdown really did affect the reading habits of those who took part in our survey.表明锁定确实确实影响了参与我们调查的人们的阅读习惯。 But what might be the longer term implications of the lockdown on how and why we read?但是锁定对我们阅读方式和阅读方式的长期影响可能是什么？ And what might happen given the possibility of a second lockdown?如果再次锁定，可能会发生什么？ It remains to be seen if and how the pandemic might be responsible for continuing changes in our relationship with books.大流行是否以及如何导致我们与书本关系的持续变化还有待观察。
作者简介
英国文学讲师Abigail Boucher 阿斯顿大学; Chloe Harrison，英语语言文学讲师， 阿斯顿大学，以及英语语言和文学高级讲师Marcello Giovanelli， 阿斯顿大学
