When I read that they're making an It Gets Better book, I had a visceral negative reaction. At first I thought this was because I don't like the idea of making money from It Gets Better. But, upon further reflection, I think it's more complicated than that.
The internet already contains all the It Gets Better stories, and will continue to contain any new stories that people come up with. However, a book will only contain some of them. A book also costs money, whereas we're paying for the internet regardless so it doesn't cost anything to look at It Gets Better online. So with the book you have to pay more to get less.
But on top of that, there's also the problem that a book is indiscreet. In an interview, Dan Savage told the story of a 15-year-old girl, closeted from her parents, watching It Gets Better videos on a borrowed iphone under the covers at night. A book would be less useful to that girl. The iphone she can turn off, or quickly switch over to facebook or something. But a book is right there, rather large, with a title. Meddling parents are likely going to find it. My parents let me read whatever I want, but they still knew what I was reading. And I knew (or could easily find out) what they were reading. Books are far more difficult to hide, so they're less useful to the people who need It Gets Better the most.
Now, I do think it's useful to curate It Gets Better. And I do actually think text is a better format than video. A text-only website is even easier to read discreetly, and if your internet time is limited or monitored you could easily copy-paste stories to read elsewhere. Save them on a USB key with a name like "English Essay Notes.doc", or save them as text files and read them with an ebook reader app on your ipod touch. But this would be better achieved with a website that allows people to submit their stories and readers to vote them up or down, similar to Not Always Right, would do the job better.
Basically, the book format adds nothing but a price tag, and does nothing to help the people for whom it hasn't get Gotten Better. I can see how some marketing guru whose job is to look for the next big internet phenomenon to turn into a book would land on this idea, but as a former member of the target audience of this project, it just seems crass to me.
1 comment:
Perhaps different formats suit different people and needs. More formats mean reaching more people, and people can choose which format(s) suit them best.
Some people learn better or are more easily reached through print and an actual physical book. (I'm one of those, and I figure I can't be the only one.)
The book doesn't have to make money. Proceeds can support a foundation that supports queer youth or anti-bullying programs, for example.
It's true that a book will only contain a sample, but thoughtful editors can choose a representative sample, and the book could point to other online resources.
I think a book could complement and enhance the online project.
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