Should older fiction be modernized for young audiences?

 

Not health related, per se, but nevertheless an interesting read from the New York Times (apologies for those that don't have a subscription!). 

In a nutshell, the article discusses the ways in which some publishers have attempted to modernize references in older fiction to make them more appealing to young audiences, being a practice far more common than most people may think. A few examples, all from various books, include: 

• Replacing a reference to a TV show with TikTok
• Adding references to SnapChat and Instagram
• Removing references to phone books
• Swapping out a mention of a snooker table with a PlayStation
• Replacing references to a sanitary belt with sticky pads

The article lists a few books that have been subject to these revisions, all with authors' permission, including the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard, the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume (among others).

Publishers that engage in this practice justify their revisions with the claim that younger audiences may become confused when encountering outdated references, which could result in them abandoning the book. 

Some concerns have been raised relating to this practice, mentioned both in the article, itself, and the article's comments, including potential impacts to critical thinking, the erasure of historical context, and discouraging intellectual curiosity in young readers.

What do you think? Should older books be modernized to appeal to new audiences? Do you think young readers would be discouraged when encountering outdated references? 

For my part, I'm becoming increasingly grateful for my dusty, old, physical copies! 🕮 

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day ☕