During the second semester of grade 9 ELA, Mr. Jimenez’s students engaged in an Article Writing Unit. They met with a Global News journalist, Keesha Harewood, who taught them how to write informative news articles. In turn, the students wrote articles on a topic of their choice. Here are 10 articles, the best of the best (in no particular order), written by the students.
#1: Impacts of unrealistic Asian beauty standards in society
By Han Hoang
An example of beauty standards in Japan (QuestionJapan)
Everyone wants to be beautiful, but unrealistic expectations of society are making it out of reach.
“I do experience that [body shaming] a lot, especially in my household,” Laine, a Filipino grade 9 student at West Kildonan Collegiate, said.
The record shows that most of the negative comments are coming from their loved ones. “Asian families are so comfortable towards making comments about your body and they don’t know how bad it impacts you,” Laine said.
Commonly within the Asian community, people would define “beautiful” as having fair/clear skin, double eyelids, having a smaller/higher nose, or having a face that is more lifted and more defined. They also consider being skinny and tall as one of the most important features to be considered pretty.
“Sometimes there are comments like I am way too skinny at times, sometimes it is I’m gaining weight, I’m eating too much. Or you know, I usually get comments like ‘Oh your nose is really flat!’ And I also get comments about how dark my skin is compared to my siblings or family members.”
Tara, a Vietnamese grade 10 student from West Kildonan Collegiate, shared that she’s also experiencing body shaming, face shaming and colourism from her family and friends.
“They’re saying how skinny and fat I am, face shaming for being too round and ugly, colourism being Asian and getting called ‘black girl’ because of my very dark skin color. They even thought it was normal to have someone buy me a whitening soap for my birthday. They told me that I am adopted and should go back to ‘Africa’.”
Some screenshots from a beauty video promoting unrealistic beauty standards (POPxo)
Everyone has their own opinions about beauty standards. But the perception from generation to generation is even more different.
Anna, a Vietnamese 40 years old housewife, expresses her thoughts about Asian beauty standards. “Beauty standard is a role model for everyone to follow. It’s the same thing as some people working hard and getting enough money to take care of their family; the lazy one is not even able to feed themselves. If you’re not fitting in, it’s because you’re not working hard enough on yourself.”
Tara has been told since she was a little girl that ‘someone who isn’t ‘beautiful’ won’t be a good person at heart or they don’t deserve something beautiful’. Some Asians don’t really see differences in people other than their outer appearance.”
“No one should agree with any of the unrealistic beauty standards in society. It truly has a lasting impact on the person and influences them negatively into an unhealthy mindset,” Laine said at time.
“It’s sad that we have been brainwashed by what is beautiful and what isn’t.”
Disclaimer: Some names have been changed to protect their identity.
#2: Overcoming Negative Preconceptions Around Asian Youth
By Carla Bactol
Image is from The Talons’ “Pushing Past the Asian-American Stereotype”
What image first comes to mind when you think about Asian youth? You may imagine a student who is hardworking and ambitious; one who is quiet and reserved; a high academic achiever who strives to be a lawyer, doctor, or engineer, or someone who carries very high expectations for themselves.
To a large extent, they often fall victim to a distinctive set of stereotypes. Asian youth are thought of as highly intelligent, dependable, or an excessive successor. In contrast to the myths of the “Model Minority”, which is a population (based on ethnicity, colour or religion) whose members are seen to have achieved greater financial success than the general population, it has been encountered in the media and pop culture.
So, what are the current experiences of Asian youth in terms of facing these stereotypes?
Eighteen year old Canwen Xu, a Chinese-American, shares her own experience through a TED Talk affirming, “I always felt self conscious about being good at math because people would just say it was because I’m Asian and not because I actually work hard.”
Gia, a Vietnamese student at West Kildonan Collegiate says that, “They hold high expectations for me to excel academically and professionally but also don’t realize how much pressure it adds onto me.”
“The way that people look at me is as if I’m an “Asian nerd” or that I’m quiet and smart.”
Image from the News’ “Behind the ‘Model Minority’ Myth: Why the ‘Studious Asian’ Stereotype Hurts
Moreover, the ongoing perceptions are telling Asian youth that their high expectations of achievement are practically their only identified feature. This not only sets society into perceiving them as something that they do not want to be defined as, but it also causes an impact toward their mentality.
“It definitely does impact people in a way that any stereotype would, and just getting diminished of your personality just because of who you are, and just being thought of as this one thing,” states Mabelen Bonifacio, who is a Filipino student filmmaker.
Additionally, they frequently feel as if they could not do less than because they are easily expected by others to meet the standard of perfection just because they are Asian.
“I was just living based off of the expectations that other students at my school had of me, what my family thought of me,” says Bonifacio.
The caring devotion and desire to please their parents and those around them might inspire these youth to succeed, but it can also put them under additional pressure along with the fact that they are portrayed as only being seen toward having specific characteristics. Their identity is then minimized just because of who they are.
“This is something that is so common especially in the Asian community. We often don’t talk about it because there’s such a stigma surrounding mental health,” Bonifacio said.
“Sometimes the first step in people’s lives is to acknowledge the presence or existence of mental health and how they are truly feeling.”
It is so easy for society to develop these stereotypes in a variety of ways, but valuing the youth’s individualities can truly change the perception of the stereotype. We can acknowledge the fact that trying to disguise or change who they are to meet someone else’s ideas lowers their feeling of self-worth, which leads to a drop of self esteem and an increase in insecurities.
Similarly, many people are unaware that portraying Asians as intelligent and hardworking can weigh heavily on Asian youth to meet the unfair academic standards others expect of them.
Canwen Xu concludes that, “Asians should not be portrayed as these stereotypes, but rather as individuals who are respected for who they are. We are human beings like everyone else who do not wish to be pitted against others for their accomplishments.”
DISCLAIMER: Some names have been changed to protect their identity.
#3: The Russia-Ukraine War: What people think about it
By Natalia Groele
The Russia-Ukraine war, which has been going on since February 24, 2022, has sparked many different reactions among people who watch it happen thousands of kilometers away.
Ever since Russia began attacking Ukraine, news broadcasts around the world have been showing feeds of what is happening.
Thousands of people have died due to the result of this tragedy while more than 14 million people have fled from their homes to escape the war. As of May 10, 2022, there were an estimated 7,061 civilian casualties,; 3,381 killed and 3,680 injured across the country since the beginning of the war.
Photo credit: CNN
When asked how she felt about the war, Maryla Groele, who immigrated in 1991 responded, “I feel that it’s unnecessary in this day and age,” Maryla said. “We should be coming closer to some type of world peace, trying to figure out ways to solve issues diplomatically without loss of innocent life.”
“I feel that its very sad that people have to leave their homes behind and go to places where they don’t know anybody,” she said., “I just feel that it’s very sad that people have to leave their homes and families behind and are forced to start over in other places where it’s unfamiliar to them, where it’s scary.”
“Being an immigrant myself, we immigrated out of choice and I know how scary that was. They’re immigrating because they’re forced to.”
When asked about how she felt about the amount of casualties, Maryla said that it’s such an unnecessary loss of life; how these people did nothing wrong and how they are casualties of a handful of people who are making these decisions.
“I have a hard time understanding how anyone can order for innocent lives to be taken. How anybody can decide that this is the way to gain power, that you have to kill innocent people.”
“I think the best way to move forward is to try to find a diplomatic way to end this. I think that Russia needs to feel that Ukraine is backed by the world in this.”
Photo credit: NPR
In an interview on February 22, 2022, Yevgeniy Bychkov, a Russian-Canadian podcaster, says that some Russians disagree with Putin’s actions, but others support him.
“I was absolutely sure that Putin is bluffing. After yesterday, I’m not sure,” he said. “It is dividing people hard.”
Photo credit: NBC News
24-year-old Catarina, a Ukrainian refugee shares what happened to her at the time of the war before she left the country. She said her house was burnt by a bomb and her friends were killed when they were sheltering together in a basement.
“It’s pretty much done,” Catarina said. “My whole city is just dust.”
When asked how she survived mentally she responded, “I don’t think I did.”
“Every time I see that, or hear sound I start shaking,” she said.
Her message to everyone: “Please do cherish the clear sky, every time you see sky. Cherish every moment in your life.”
#4: Missing Media in Women’s Sports
By Hanna Buller
What does it mean to be a female athlete? To be pushed behind by those who don’t think we can succeed.
People have been sweeping women in sports aside for decades. Even in our modern time it is no different. Whether it be boys underestimating how well a woman can play, or making fun of a girl if they don’t compare to an all star. There is a very unfair amount of representation in women’s sports. But why is this?
Avneet Kainth, a 15 year old female athlete says, “People say they’re for stronger people and apparently women aren’t strong.”
“Y’know they never really give women a chance,” stated Eliza McKay, another female student athlete.
Even though there has been much progression in women’s sports, there will still be that idea that men are just better than women. Sports media pushes this narrative.
“On TV, you really only find men playing these sports on the popular channels,.” Kainth says.
She also mentions that she mainly watches men’s sports, not because she likes them better but because they are displayed more.
“Yeah you see them (men) getting more coverage in sports magazines and stuff, I guess people just see them as more entertaining,” says McKay.
“There will always be that stigma, culture, around women playing sports,” she adds.
With such little representation, it pushes young girls out of sports, discouraging them from even wanting to play. Kia Nurse has been a pushing advocate for young women in sports for a long while. Nurse has also put in a lot of work and has been a great role model.
“Representation matters. While being a female athlete can be rewarding, the world of sport can be challenging to navigate.”
“Some women get scared to play the male dominated sports because they don’t want to get made fun of,” Kainth says.
Leading back to the question, “Why don’t women get as much representation?” Eliza McKay answered.
“People just don’t like women.”
As hard as that is to hear for some, it does ring true in most cases. Dismissing women’s sports is an overly normalized thing.
“Y’know, they’re not as big and strong as the 6’4”, 170 lbs men you know are built.”
Photo from NJ.com
When faced with the question “Do you think this male dominated sports world will ever change?” Avneet Kainth gave a fulfilling answer.
“I think it could change, but only if other people change their mindsets and respect women playing sports.”
Women and men shouldn’t be so wildly separated in their sport. If they both put in the work a woman could easily be as good as their male counterpart. When asked her thoughts on this, McKay said, “women have the same capability as a man, but they aren’t given the proper attention.”
When people are playing sports, they should not be characterized by their gender.
“You are not defined by your gender. You are not defined by your sport. You are a female athlete, but you are so much more,” Kia Nurse quotes.
#5: White supremacy has shown its true face in the past few years in North America. Many deny its existence but the BIPOC community feels the effects everyday
By Raheem Hasan
From Trump wanting to build a wall and banning Muslims from entering the US to white police officers killing Black people and barely facing repercussions, white supremacy is everywhere in North America. White supremacy is “the belief that white people constitute a superior race and should therefore dominate society, typically to the exclusion or detriment of other racial and ethnic groups, in particular Black or Jewish people.” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 1824)
White supremacy has caused a divide in the African American community due to slavery. During that time, slave owners made darker skin slaves work outside in the sun while lighter skin slavers worked inside. This left the idea that if your skin was lighter you get better treatment in a lot of slaves’ minds.
The rest of the Black community still feel the effects of white supremacy due to colonization of Africa. Colonizers used religion, specifically Christianity by making Jesus white, modifying bible verses, and telling Africans that their traditional beliefs are witchcraft. In recent years, the media shown on TV pushes a narrative which creates more of a gap in the BIPOC community.
“The media plays a big part in white supremacy and spreading false information about Africa. There was always a commercial of a child who was poor and some white person trying to be the hero,” says Aisha Jackson, a 17 year old high school student.
“Growing up I always saw Africans on TV being depicted as poor and uncivilized. You can see that it hurts the African immigrants when us African Americans would make fun of them. What we didn’t realize as kids is the white people didn’t care who or why we were fighting there. They just wanted us to be separate and think we’re less than them.”
White supremacy isn’t just felt in the Black community but in others like the Asian community. Over the past few years, a lot of racism and xenophobia have been targeted to Asians due to misinformation spread by white supremacists. Racism against Asians has been happening since the 19th century. In 1871, a Chinese massacre took place when a mob in Los Angeles’ Chinatown attacked and murdered 19 Chinese residents, including a 15-year-old boy. This discrimination against Asians grew worse during WWII and the Vietnam war.
“I was born at the end of WWII and the Vietnam war. When I moved to America in 1954 I instantly faced racism. I still vividly remember a white man getting mad at my family when we moved in the neighborhood “there are too many of you Japanese folks here”. We clearly were Chinese. We had the flag in our car, on our house, everywhere. With little to no family and no one to ask for help my parents and I learned to hide the pain,” quotes Jiao-long(老虎杀手)Wang, a 73 year old retired system engineer.
“A negative side effect of white supremacy is racism. I’ve been stereotyped by white people saying, “Do you eat dogs in the Philippines?” Juan (Jay) Jimenez, a high school teacher quotes.
The Asian community also feels the effects of colonization. In 2018, the Asia-Pacific market accounted for more than half of worldwide sales and is predicted to expand the fastest, with China being one of the fastest growing markets in the world. According to a 2018 research conducted in Mumbai, India, 54 percent of respondents had used skin whitening products at some point in their lives, and 38 percent were doing so at the moment. Many Asian beauty standards require your skin to be light.
Jimenez adds, “In the Asian community, specifically the Filipino community, there are Filipinos that look down upon others because they have darker skin.”
“Some Filipinos have stereotypes of Black and Indigenous people, while white Hollywood celebrities are so idolized and idealized.”
#6: Trans Fat is being consumed by millions, but there are risks when people consume this fat
By Luis Heide
Since 1911, when it was created, trans fat has been consumed by millions, but there are hidden risks that consuming this type of fat may bring.
There are three main types of fat that are in the food we eat. These include saturated fat, unsaturated fat, and trans fat.
Unsaturated fats are mainly from plants. This type of fat is healthy for us and is a component of a balanced diet.
Saturated fat is found in animal products like meat and dairy. This fat is still decently healthy but can affect people if they constantly consume it.
Trans fat is almost always created artificially in factories. It is found in deep-fried foods and many processed foods.
This information may seem simple but it’s actually not very common knowledge.
“I think that I have little to no knowledge of the different types of fat. I have heard that there are different kinds, but I have no idea what makes them different. I also assume there are some healthy fats and some unhealthy fats,” says Gabriel Abraao from West Kildonan Collegiate.
Image from:https://www.gofoodservice.com/blog/what-size-commercial-fryer-does-your-kitchen-need
The main foods that contain trans fat are highly processed foods, and deep-fried food. So your casual meal at a fast-food restaurant would definitely contain it.
But trans fat, along with some other fats, can cause major health problems.
When you often consume trans fat, you are at a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and many other issues/problems.
“Although natural trans fats from animal products are considered safe in moderate amounts, artificial ones are strongly associated with health problems, including heart disease,” says reporter Joe Leech.
“The public should be more informed about the effects that eating trans fats can bring. I would consider telling someone about these risks if there was a situation where it could help inform someone,” says Gabriel Abraao from West Kildonan Collegiate.
With all of the issues that eating trans fats can bring to people’s health, why would companies even add it to their food? But there are a few reasons why companies would add trans fat to their products.
Firstly, trans fat, along with other fat, is added to foods to give them a more desirable texture and taste that people love.
It’s also inexpensive to produce and stays good for a long period of time.
When added to oils, trans fat can allow commercial fryers to be used multiple times without needing to change the oil.
The main reason it was added into many different foods with no concern is because in the past, until the 1900s, people had no idea that consuming it can increase the risk of many health risks.
But now we are living in a world that is very different compared to the 1900s. Shouldn’t more people know about these risks?
“What I really want is to see trans fats gone finally,” said Fred Kummerow, a biochemist, “and for people to eat better and have a more accurate understanding of what really causes heart disease.”
#7: Basketball is more than a sport for Filipinos and the country of the Philippines
By Jurwin Garcia
Basketball has been in the Philippines since the sport’s earliest days. And it is everywhere you go, from the churches to the jails to the slums.
Anywhere you go in the Philippines. Any village, any beach, even any street corner. You’re likely to see a combination of a basketball jersey and flip-flops.
Perhaps nothing illustrates the connections Filipinos have between playing a competitive game and the loveable sport of basketball.
“Basketball back in the Philippines was way different than in North America,” Edwin Garcia said,
Edwin Garcia is a Filipino immigrant and former basketball player in the Philippines.
“It didn’t matter about the weather, the looks on the hoop, or if you didn’t have shoes. Everyone kept wanting to play the game,” he says.
Little kids will always find a way to shoot a ball into a basket; if it’s made out of wood, or used with any garbage, they will always find a way to play basketball.
Basketball was first introduced to the Philippine public school system by the Americans as a women’s sport in 1910 and was played in Interscholastic meets from 1911 until 1913.
Similarly, basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines. played on both the amateur and professional levels.
At the amateur level, “Basketball was a very physical sport and you would most likely get hurt.” Lea said,
A Filipino immigrant married to Edwin Garcia.
Edwin said at the professional level, “People in the Philippines learned from themselves unknown like professional basketball in North America.” Everyone had daily training from professional trainers here in North America. The Philippines was never like that.
Additionally, the Philippines is not a very rich country compared to North America. The developing country has many people who are unable to afford the training. All the little kids learn from themselves to develop their skills and only train in a homemade hoop.
A Filipino Immigrant Kai Sotto is declared for the NBA 2022 as he looks to become the first home-grown player to appear in the league.
After the Philippines is one of the biggest countries of fan bases in the sport of basketball Kai says, “Lots of people have watched me play the game, especially from the Philippines back home. I feel pressured from having the Philippines on my back and all the kids looking up to me, but as long as I do my job I do not feel pressured.” – Lakers Nation
The Filipino immigrant was named Fan-MVP award for the Australian basketball league as a 19-year-old. He declares for the 2022 NBA draft representing his country in the NBA. He will continue his career to work hard and do it for his home country.
#8: NATURE, a force to be reckoned with in the Whiteshell Provincial Park
By Allie Ledet
The May long weekend is usually an exciting weekend for cottagers in the Whiteshell Provincial Park. This year’s high rising water has kept many cottagers home. Due to the high waters, causing flooding. A local state of emergency from Eleanor Lake to Betula Lake, encompassing all the lakes in between has been issued by the government. Highway 307 to Highway 309 has been closed. These cottagers have no access to their cottage until the road closures are lifted. Many cottagers have been unable to assess damage to their cottages.
Digby Fulcher, a cabin owner at Big Whiteshell Lake for 32 years, says the continuous inconsistent lake levels make it difficult to plan for a summer season. Residents are being evacuated from their cabins at many surrounding lakes. Digby Fulcher adds that he is grateful to still be able to get to and from to his cabin.
“Even with access to the lake, it has given us limited things that we are able to do,” Fulcher said. He also added how over-land flooding water has significantly risen. “We are unable to put our docks or boats in the water. Many neighbours have lost their entire boathouse”.
According to the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, “many areas of the park have been closed to the public. These include commercial areas, campgrounds, recreational and picnic areas , playgrounds and trails.. They ask that no one enter these closed areas as they have been deemed unsafe.
As many more closures are occurring due to the flood waters, many people are spending more time in the city. Cottage owners have been looking forward to the upcoming season at the lake, missing it from the past year due to the pandemic.
Cabin owner Amy Johnson says, “Many of us worked together to save as many docks as we could as the ice came off the lake. With the amount of snow we had this year and creating high levels we knew that many docks were in jeopardy. We did our best to help our neighbors.”
Many cottagers are spending their time at the lake repairing the lost and damaged docks. The comparison to last year’s low waters and this year’s high water shows the drastic change a year can bring. The photos above show that comparison. May 2021 on the left and May 2022 on the right.
Heather Anderson, a cottage owner at White Lake says, “the seasonal campground is completely underwater. My neighbor three cottages down has water all around their cabin with water in their crawl space. They have lost their furnace and air conditioning. I am lucky that the water was 6 inches from coming into my crawl space. We just built this cottage and moved into it a month and a half ago.”
Forces of nature such as water, sun, wind, rain and ice have played havoc with the water levels at Big Whiteshell and surrounding Lakes this year. The strength of Mother Nature not only affects our enjoyment of lake time, but also impacts on animals, vegetation and the shorelines. Cottage owners anxiously await for the water to recede.
#9: The effects of having unstable mental health, along with technology taking over people’s lives
By Daniella Butler
Social media, for most, is a way to express themselves through technology. Social media opens doors for creative ideas, meeting new people, starting popular trends and having fun. But will social media determine the lives of a handful of people?
Although social media can be a dangerous place, there are multiple benefits to social platforms. Media has given us the ability to interact with others and stay in touch with long distance friends and/or family. We also have the ability to discover what’s happening around the world. Media also gives us endless amounts of information just a click away. Some may say, social media has made individuals feel as though the world is more approachable.
With all the great benefits social media has, there are still downsides going into social networking.
“Social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram interact with the brain like an addiction. Each time we get a “like” from a picture or status we have posted, our brains receive a dopamine hit.”
Katherine Omerod, a fashion blogger who uses social media on a daily basis, quotes.
These effects are the reasons why we as individuals are so caught up in addiction. We spend so much time on our favorite social media platforms that we start to form ideas about oneself. We start to self degrade and analyze traits about us personally. This then creates a barrier between ourselves and reality. Networking sites have become a source of critique on how we view others’ lives, along with our own.
“I’m not consciously aware that I am constantly comparing my life to everyone else’s, which is mentally exhausting,” says Peyton Litterick, a famous youtuber.
Along with that quote, social media takes a toll on mental health. Always feeling the need to look a certain way or to be “picture perfect” for our own social media platforms can cause forms of anxiety and depression.
Social media influencers are another reason why we think that everything about us should be perfect.
“I feel that influencers hide the bad parts of their lives, not only to show others that their lives are good. But to make themselves believe that their lives are also good too. Being able to forget their problems and not face reality,” says Malia Ballantyne, a student from Tec Voc high school.
Many people say “you only live once.” Which is why you should never worry about what others think. You should be worrying more about how you’re going to live your life, who you choose to spend your time with and how you’re going to live your life to the fullest.
- With files from Katherine Omerod and Peyton Litterick
#10: How Coronavirus affects the book industry and its audience
By Janelle Cameron
Since the pandemic arose causing its first lockdown in 2020, the book industry has been left in despair but yet an agonizing situation for its creators as well as its audience.
It is to be believed that Covid has made a large impact on the book community. During the first lockdown in 2020 book stores had closed, leaving online shopping the only purchasing option. Not only did this affect the consumers, but the authors and publishers as well.
Ariel Busset, a youtuber who adores books expressed her outlook on what has happened to the book industry.
“Another thing you may have seen or may not have seen is a lot of people having events canceled. Now this to me at first obviously is upsetting, but I didn’t realize how big of a difference and a bad difference this can make for authors.” Ariel had made a strong point, but later had made a more touching one when she shared the story of her friend.
“It’s really hard to get any media attention for books right now. Also, in depresses like us rely a lot on indie bookstores to sell out books. Book sellers recommend them to customers, choose them as staff picks, or just display them in a way that they can be discovered. With bookstores closed to browsing, the books don’t stand very much of a chance. Right now we’re trying to figure out what book publicity looks like in the time of pandemic. Online events, livestreams, book clubs, social media, and digital advertising. It’s an uncertain time for us.”
“Pre-ordering can make a really really really big difference right now. It shows to the publishers they should still market the book, they should still push it, and they should still publish it.”
Covid-19 lockdowns have also caused online sales to skyrocket due to individuals being stuck in the house all day. Even those who were not interested in reading before, formed a new hobby. Coley had posted a youtube video, consisting of how she bought over seventy books due to lockdown.
“Welcome to a book haul, where I have some serious life questions for myself on my buying problem.” Then she proceeded to talk about how the consumer community has been affected by the pandemic.
“You know, a global pandemic hit. Coronavirus just came into our lives. Like a lot of people I picked up some new hobbies, some old hobbies, but the biggest hobby I picked up during Covid was actually just ordering books online, while drinking wine…. It’s a problem.” As she ended humorously.
Not only were public libraries affected, but school libraries too. Alice Klumper, one of the librarians at West Kildonan Collegiate shared her perspective on this problem. Ms. Klumper stated how kids have even lost interest in books since the pandemic.
“There were a lot of restrictions for a while, so it was very hard to access books, so I think there has been some loss of interest.”
She even mentioned that orders have been delayed and shipping was a major problem when she shared,
“Shipping is atrocious right now., I put in a book order in April (two months ago) and I am still waiting on it.”
Ms.Klumper herself even explained how she had been keeping in touch with books. When she was asked if she had been reading, her response was,
“I usually read electronically anyway, I very souvently read paper. I like to read e-books, so for me the pandemic didn’t really have any impact because they’re all in the cloud anyway.”
“If I was in the habit of reading paper books then my interest in books may have changed, but because I read electronically it hasn’t.”
Lastly, Ms. Klumper expressed how her genre of books has not changed or been affected.
“I am a pretty eclectic reader, so I have always read a little bit of everything, except for reality.”
Overall, it is clear the pandemic and its lockdowns have silently affected the book industry. As well as its audience. It is hoped to see better for all the authors, and those who love books in the future.
Note: Articles have been edited for clarity.