‘Netflix For Books’ Launching Soon, May Make Our Teenagers Read More

Oyster is a book subscription app that is basically like Netflix for readers. For one monthly subscription fee you get access to thousands of books. I’m wondering if this will make my teenage stepdaughter read more?

You know how once you buy a teenager something, it’s like “Hey thanks!” – and 10 minutes later they’re dropping hints about the next thing they’re dying to get? I feel like this app will fill the “always wanting the next thing” void, as they can have access to an unlimited amount of titles each month. Only lets be real, it’s not music – it’s literature. I wonder if my stepdaughter will bite?

I think it can be a cool tool to get kids more interested in reading though. Unlimited access is just fun. It’s the reason I could spend hours at a time on Spotify. Oyster seems to have the same idea.  How cool would it be to have your favorite passages at your fingertips?

From the Oyster blog:

Readers often find their best book recommendations when they aren’t even looking for them. Maybe you’re at lunch with a friend who brings up the new book that you just can’t miss, and reading it sets you on a new path. Or you read about the books that influenced your favorite designer or writer. These recommendations come from nearly everywhere: friends, television shows, thought leaders, and algorithms.

But this process can be cumbersome and difficult, requiring you to jump between multiple applications and devices. The best products tend to pair discovery with consumption such that the user doesn’t perceive them as disparate activities”” enabling a complete consumption experience. With Oyster, we’re bringing this to books.

Clearly I’m just super excited about this and hoping to justify another subscription to something by rationalizing that my kids might like it. But if this is as great as it sounds – sign me up.

(photo: AN NGUYEN/ Shutterstock)