Introduction
Ninette: Thin is never thin enough was created by the Interactive Media Foundation (2016) (full credit list) and starts with a group of girls that are growing into their bodies. However, one character, Janette, is not happy with the way her new body looks, which now has the addition of curves. Her concern about her body eventually develops into an eating disorder and begins to affect all aspects of her life. The story takes you on the journey with Janette as she battles her inner voice, but also highlights the impact that eating disorders have on the friends and families of people with anorexia.
This digital text has been reviewed against 4 main criteria that identify and evaluate its digital features, intended audience and literary value. The criteria are based on the work of Yokota and Teale (2014) and McGeehan, et. al. (2018). For more information about the criteria, and why I have decided to use them, read my post, Evaluating Digital Literature.
Beyond Print
This digital text is designed and executed in graphic novel format, with accompanying soundtrack, sound effects and basic animations. You can move forwards or backwards in the story, just as in a physical book and as you make your way through the pages, clickable dots appear. Once clicked, the reader is presented with factual information about anorexia and ways for sufferers and family members to seek help. Some of the dots also connect the reader to audio files from real-life people recounting their own experiences. Going on these side-journeys is completely optional, the reader can choose to simply read the story itself.
You can opt to watch it in video mode, However, if you do, the interactive features are absent. All of the information provided is also available under a resources tab (or would be, if the links were active). There is also an option to experience the text in a second language; German.
Value of Digital Features
Whether digital texts are actually worthwhile or beneficial is a matter of debate (Hoffelder, 2011). The additional features may engage readers but they have a potentially negative impact on the reader’s overall ability to remember the plot and storyline (Lamb, 2011, & Flood, 2012) while others argue that these additional features build a richer experience (Old Mate Media, n.d.). Despite these opposing views, digital texts continue to be produced and consumed. I think the decision about whether digital texts provide something more depends on the individual reader. Personally, I felt that the digital features added to my overall experience, rather than detracting or being distracting. I skimmed the fact sheets, suggestions for help and listened to the personal accounts but if the reader were fully engaged in all of the additional material it could break the flow of the story.
The use of a website-based platform works well for this sort of digital text as it makes it widely available without the need for apps or e-readers. Having it available in more than one language also makes it more accessible. As mentioned earlier, the resource links outside of the story no longer work, but they function perfectly within. Some of the chapters have problematic loading and needed several attempts before access was successful; unfortunately, this did have a negative impact on my overall experience as the flow of the story was broken by technical difficulties.
Audience
To gain some context, I used Google to translate the German notes on the project. The impetus for this project was the realisation that within Germany, there is a lack of resources, training and prevention to deal with the profound impact that eating disorders are having, particularly on young people. Their goal was to increase awareness of eating disorders, make conversations about them normal and provide access to some resources. With that in mind, the target audience would be children from the age of 11 and up as they state that almost 30% of girls between the ages of 11 – 17 show signs of eating disorder behaviour.
The content, interactivity and resources are all appropriate for this age group, although discussions during and after interacting with this digital story would be advisable for younger readers.
Literary Value
Determining the literary value or merit of a text has long been debated, as Grave’s 1928 journal article and the myriad of modern blogs, such as Hartmann’s (2017), attest. That said, Ninette: Thin is never thin enough has all the nuts and bolts you expect a story for 11 – 17 year old girls to have, such as friendship fall-outs, problems with parents and love interests. Interwoven through all of this is the need to overcome a mental illness. It is a considered piece, written to engage both the reader and the wider community in recognising that eating disorders is a significant issue.
Screenshots Attribution: All image copyright resides with Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH.
References
Curtis, J. (2022, August 12). Evaluating Digital Literature. The Rabbit Hole. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/therabbithole/2022/08/12/evaluating-digital-literature/
Flood, A. (2012, June 8). Enhanced ebooks are bad for children finds American study. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jun/07/enhanced-ebooks-bad-for-children
Grave, C. (1928). Measuring literary merit. The English Journal, 17(4), 328-331.
Hartmann, C. (2017, June 21). How to tell if a piece of fiction has literary merit. Cristina Hartmann. https://medium.com/@cmmhartmann/how-to-tell-if-a-piece-of-fiction-has-literary-merit-2a1413c5354f
Hoffelder, N. (2011, April 10). Enhanced ebooks are dead – Evan Schnittman was mostly right. The Digital Reader. https://the-digital-reader.com/2011/04/10/enhanced-ebooks-are-dead-evan-schnittman-was-half-right/
Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17.
McGeehan, C., Chambers, S., & Nowakowski, J. (2018). Just because it’s digital, doesn’t mean it’s good: Evaluating digital picture books. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 34(2), 58-70. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2017.1399488
Old Mate Media. (n.d.). 16 ways children’s ebooks are better than printed books. https://oldmatemedia.com/guides/ebooks-vs-printed-books/
Interactive Media Foundation. (2016). Ninette: Thin is never thin enough. https://ninette.berlin/mainsite/index-en.html#comicansehen
Yokota, J., & Teale, H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: Educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 67(8), 577-585. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1262.