h3>Technology use and gadget ownershiph3>Technology use and gadget ownership
The changing reading habits chronicled in our recent reports are intrinsically tied to the new formats and devices on which people read. In our late 2011 national survey, we found that younger Americans have high levels of ownership of mobile devices like cell phones and laptops, especially compared with adults ages 65 and older.
Of course, age is not the only factor at play—we also see strong correlations by education and household income. And there is not always a straightforward correlation; for instance, though adults 65 and older are the age group least likely to own any of the gadgets we asked about, adults in their thirties and forties
most likely to own e-readers and tablets.[6. numoffset="6" The most recent data available for ownership of all devices is available on our website:
http://pewresearch.org/internet/Static-Pages/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Device-Ownership.aspx]
Younger Americans are also online at higher rates than older adults: More than nine out of ten Americans ages 16-29 (95%) use the internet or email, compared with 78% of adults over age 30.
Our online panel of young e-book borrowers tended to describe themselves as tech-savvy and constantly connected. A respondent in his late twenties wrote that he is “always” online: “I keep my email and browser with Facebook running all the time. I use it constantly throughout the day. I use my phone for texting and receiving weather alerts. I connect my laptop to my TV to watch Netflix. I try to keep up to date on the latest devices.” A high school-aged panelist said, “I use the computer and my iPod Touch all the time to talk with my friends online, email, social networking, picture editing, homework, shopping, just about anything.”
Similarly, a panelist in her late twenties wrote that she loves to do research on her internet-connected devices: “I enjoy being able to look up information as soon as I have a thought.” Another panelist, in her early twenties, described how technology has become a part of her and her husband’s daily routines: “I am usually slower to adopt devices, but the iPad had multiple uses for our household. My husband is in school and uses it to take notes in class. I use it for e-books and for quick email and [traffic alerts] at home. We both take the iPad with us when we travel for email, mapping, and finding information about local eateries and destinations. We also use it for looking up information when we are watching TV, or if we are having a discussion and need to confirm a statement that someone makes in conversation.”
Another college-aged panelist wrote that while she has many devices, there are some things they can’t replace:
“I love gadgets! I really appreciate the ability to check out books online now via the Kindle, too. I think it would be very helpful to have a wider selection of e-books to check out because I am a [college student] currently, it would save time with homework, etc. I use my Kindle Fire for emails, reading, and homework bits. The cell phone is useful for faster checking of things online or obviously calling or messaging. Nothing beats going to the library on a rainy day though!”
Others did not see themselves as early adopters in general; as a college-aged panelist wrote, “I'm not very tech-savvy, but I love my e-reader!”
Echoing the responses from the rest of the panel, many of our younger respondents cited the high cost of new gadgets as a reason for not always staying up with the latest technology trends. “I like to wait to get digital devices until the second or third version and the price has dropped and they've worked the major bugs out,” one college-aged panelist told us, adding: “I am not a huge fan of using the internet on the go, but like being able to carry a Kindle with me; it's lighter and smaller than a book, but has a whole library on it.” Another panelist, a woman in her late-twenties wrote, “I'm a web designer who loves new gadgets but can rarely afford them—so I'm an early adopter of concepts, but not usually of the product.”
Though our e-book borrowing panelists were by definition e-book readers, they didn’t necessarily prefer digital to print, as a respondent in her late twenties described: “I am a very reluctant technology user. I only occasionally request e-books, as I prefer the overall experience of reading an actual book. It somehow feels more warm and personal. However I do take advantage of digital audiobooks from the library, which are very convenient to use while in the car or even while shopping.” A college-aged panelist wrote that while he uses his gadgets for web browsing and other activities, he only reads books on his e-reader— “I don't like to read on computer screens similar to my tablet and computer monitors.”
The changing reading habits chronicled in
our recent reports are intrinsically tied to the new formats and devices on which people read. In our late 2011 national survey, we found that younger Americans have high levels of ownership of mobile devices like cell phones and laptops, especially compared with adults ages 65 and older.
Of course, age is not the only factor at play—we also see strong correlations by education and household income. And there is not always a straightforward correlation; for instance, though adults 65 and older are the age group least likely to own any of the gadgets we asked about, adults in their thirties and forties
most likely to own e-readers and tablets.[6. numoffset="6" The most recent data available for ownership of all devices is available on our website:
http://pewresearch.org/internet/Static-Pages/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Device-Ownership.aspx]
Younger Americans are also online at higher rates than older adults: More than nine out of ten Americans ages 16-29 (95%) use the internet or email, compared with 78% of adults over age 30.
Our online panel of young e-book borrowers tended to describe themselves as tech-savvy and constantly connected. A respondent in his late twenties wrote that he is “always” online: “I keep my email and browser with Facebook running all the time. I use it constantly throughout the day. I use my phone for texting and receiving weather alerts. I connect my laptop to my TV to watch Netflix. I try to keep up to date on the latest devices.” A high school-aged panelist said, “I use the computer and my iPod Touch all the time to talk with my friends online, email, social networking, picture editing, homework, shopping, just about anything.”
Similarly, a panelist in her late twenties wrote that she loves to do research on her internet-connected devices: “I enjoy being able to look up information as soon as I have a thought.” Another panelist, in her early twenties, described how technology has become a part of her and her husband’s daily routines: “I am usually slower to adopt devices, but the iPad had multiple uses for our household. My husband is in school and uses it to take notes in class. I use it for e-books and for quick email and [traffic alerts] at home. We both take the iPad with us when we travel for email, mapping, and finding information about local eateries and destinations. We also use it for looking up information when we are watching TV, or if we are having a discussion and need to confirm a statement that someone makes in conversation.”
Another college-aged panelist wrote that while she has many devices, there are some things they can’t replace:
“I love gadgets! I really appreciate the ability to check out books online now via the Kindle, too. I think it would be very helpful to have a wider selection of e-books to check out because I am a [college student] currently, it would save time with homework, etc. I use my Kindle Fire for emails, reading, and homework bits. The cell phone is useful for faster checking of things online or obviously calling or messaging. Nothing beats going to the library on a rainy day though!”
Others did not see themselves as early adopters in general; as a college-aged panelist wrote, “I'm not very tech-savvy, but I love my e-reader!”
Echoing the responses from the rest of the panel, many of our younger respondents cited the high cost of new gadgets as a reason for not always staying up with the latest technology trends. “I like to wait to get digital devices until the second or third version and the price has dropped and they've worked the major bugs out,” one college-aged panelist told us, adding: “I am not a huge fan of using the internet on the go, but like being able to carry a Kindle with me; it's lighter and smaller than a book, but has a whole library on it.” Another panelist, a woman in her late-twenties wrote, “I'm a web designer who loves new gadgets but can rarely afford them—so I'm an early adopter of concepts, but not usually of the product.”
Though our e-book borrowing panelists were by definition e-book readers, they didn’t necessarily prefer digital to print, as a respondent in her late twenties described: “I am a very reluctant technology user. I only occasionally request e-books, as I prefer the overall experience of reading an actual book. It somehow feels more warm and personal. However I do take advantage of digital audiobooks from the library, which are very convenient to use while in the car or even while shopping.” A college-aged panelist wrote that while he uses his gadgets for web browsing and other activities, he only reads books on his e-reader— “I don't like to read on computer screens similar to my tablet and computer monitors.”
Reasons for reading
As discussed
in one of our previous reports, we asked all of the respondents in our late-2011 national survey their main reasons for reading. This question is meant to explore respondents’ reasons for reading
any type of content, including books, magazines, journals, newspapers, and online content. Among all Americans:
- 80% of all Americans ages 16 and older say they read at least occasionally for pleasure, including 76% of those under age 30.
- 78% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally to keep up with current events, including 73% of those under age 30.
- 74% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally in order to do research on specific topics that interest them, including 81% of those under age 30.
- 56% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally for work or school, including 81% of those under age 30.[7. More information is available in “The rise of e-reading” (2012): http://libraries.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/]
In general, younger respondents are more likely to read for work or school, or to research topics of interest to them; older respondents are generally more likely to read for pleasure, or to keep up with current events.
As shown above, respondents ages 16-29 are somewhat less likely than adults 30 and older to say they read for pleasure; 76% of those younger than 30 read for this reason, compared with 81% of adults 30 and older.
Younger Americans, particularly high schoolers, are more likely than older age groups to say they read to keep up with current events “a few times a week,” while older adults are more likely to say they do so every day (and are more likely to read for this reason overall).
High schoolers and adults 65 and older are less likely to say they read in order to research specific topics they are interested in; college-aged adults, as well as those in their late twenties and thirties, are more likely than other age groups to say they read for this reason.
Finally, high schoolers (ages 16-17) are the age group most likely to read daily for work or school: 68% read for work or school every day or nearly every day—significantly more than college-aged adults (52%)—and they are most likely to read for this reason overall.
The changing reading habits chronicled in
our recent reports are intrinsically tied to the new formats and devices on which people read. In our late 2011 national survey, we found that younger Americans have high levels of ownership of mobile devices like cell phones and laptops, especially compared with adults ages 65 and older.
Of course, age is not the only factor at play—we also see strong correlations by education and household income. And there is not always a straightforward correlation; for instance, though adults 65 and older are the age group least likely to own any of the gadgets we asked about, adults in their thirties and forties
most likely to own e-readers and tablets.[6. numoffset="6" The most recent data available for ownership of all devices is available on our website:
http://pewresearch.org/internet/Static-Pages/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Device-Ownership.aspx]
Younger Americans are also online at higher rates than older adults: More than nine out of ten Americans ages 16-29 (95%) use the internet or email, compared with 78% of adults over age 30.
Our online panel of young e-book borrowers tended to describe themselves as tech-savvy and constantly connected. A respondent in his late twenties wrote that he is “always” online: “I keep my email and browser with Facebook running all the time. I use it constantly throughout the day. I use my phone for texting and receiving weather alerts. I connect my laptop to my TV to watch Netflix. I try to keep up to date on the latest devices.” A high school-aged panelist said, “I use the computer and my iPod Touch all the time to talk with my friends online, email, social networking, picture editing, homework, shopping, just about anything.”
Similarly, a panelist in her late twenties wrote that she loves to do research on her internet-connected devices: “I enjoy being able to look up information as soon as I have a thought.” Another panelist, in her early twenties, described how technology has become a part of her and her husband’s daily routines: “I am usually slower to adopt devices, but the iPad had multiple uses for our household. My husband is in school and uses it to take notes in class. I use it for e-books and for quick email and [traffic alerts] at home. We both take the iPad with us when we travel for email, mapping, and finding information about local eateries and destinations. We also use it for looking up information when we are watching TV, or if we are having a discussion and need to confirm a statement that someone makes in conversation.”
Another college-aged panelist wrote that while she has many devices, there are some things they can’t replace:
“I love gadgets! I really appreciate the ability to check out books online now via the Kindle, too. I think it would be very helpful to have a wider selection of e-books to check out because I am a [college student] currently, it would save time with homework, etc. I use my Kindle Fire for emails, reading, and homework bits. The cell phone is useful for faster checking of things online or obviously calling or messaging. Nothing beats going to the library on a rainy day though!”
Others did not see themselves as early adopters in general; as a college-aged panelist wrote, “I'm not very tech-savvy, but I love my e-reader!”
Echoing the responses from the rest of the panel, many of our younger respondents cited the high cost of new gadgets as a reason for not always staying up with the latest technology trends. “I like to wait to get digital devices until the second or third version and the price has dropped and they've worked the major bugs out,” one college-aged panelist told us, adding: “I am not a huge fan of using the internet on the go, but like being able to carry a Kindle with me; it's lighter and smaller than a book, but has a whole library on it.” Another panelist, a woman in her late-twenties wrote, “I'm a web designer who loves new gadgets but can rarely afford them—so I'm an early adopter of concepts, but not usually of the product.”
Though our e-book borrowing panelists were by definition e-book readers, they didn’t necessarily prefer digital to print, as a respondent in her late twenties described: “I am a very reluctant technology user. I only occasionally request e-books, as I prefer the overall experience of reading an actual book. It somehow feels more warm and personal. However I do take advantage of digital audiobooks from the library, which are very convenient to use while in the car or even while shopping.” A college-aged panelist wrote that while he uses his gadgets for web browsing and other activities, he only reads books on his e-reader— “I don't like to read on computer screens similar to my tablet and computer monitors.”
Reasons for reading
As discussed
in one of our previous reports, we asked all of the respondents in our late-2011 national survey their main reasons for reading. This question is meant to explore respondents’ reasons for reading
any type of content, including books, magazines, journals, newspapers, and online content. Among all Americans:
- 80% of all Americans ages 16 and older say they read at least occasionally for pleasure, including 76% of those under age 30.
- 78% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally to keep up with current events, including 73% of those under age 30.
- 74% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally in order to do research on specific topics that interest them, including 81% of those under age 30.
- 56% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally for work or school, including 81% of those under age 30.[7. More information is available in “The rise of e-reading” (2012): http://libraries.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/]
In general, younger respondents are more likely to read for work or school, or to research topics of interest to them; older respondents are generally more likely to read for pleasure, or to keep up with current events.
As shown above, respondents ages 16-29 are somewhat less likely than adults 30 and older to say they read for pleasure; 76% of those younger than 30 read for this reason, compared with 81% of adults 30 and older.
Younger Americans, particularly high schoolers, are more likely than older age groups to say they read to keep up with current events “a few times a week,” while older adults are more likely to say they do so every day (and are more likely to read for this reason overall).
High schoolers and adults 65 and older are less likely to say they read in order to research specific topics they are interested in; college-aged adults, as well as those in their late twenties and thirties, are more likely than other age groups to say they read for this reason.
Finally, high schoolers (ages 16-17) are the age group most likely to read daily for work or school: 68% read for work or school every day or nearly every day—significantly more than college-aged adults (52%)—and they are most likely to read for this reason overall.
Reading habits: Books
According to our December 2011 national survey:
- 72% of all Americans ages 16 and older read at least one book in the past year in print, including 75% of those under age 30.
- 17% of all Americans read at least one e-book, including 19% of those under age 30.
- 11% listened to at least one audiobook, including 11% of those under age 30.
Overall, 78% of all Americans—and 83% of those under age 30—had read at least one book in any format in the previous 12 months.[8. The Pew Internet Project updated the book-reading and e-book reading figures after the holiday gift-giving season and reported on those higher figures in “The rise of e-reading” (2012):
http://libraries.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/]
Though the adults over age 65 who read books read significantly more books in the past year than most younger age groups, there are no statistically significant differences by age group based on the median number of books read. (At the same time, those over age 65 were also significantly more likely than younger respondents to have read
no books in the previous year.)
The following chart shows both the mean (average) number and median (midpoint) number of books read by members of each age group in the previous year.
What younger readers like most about reading books
We also asked all of those who had read a book in the past 12 months to tell us what they like most about reading books. The most common response overall was learning, gaining knowledge, and discovering information; others mentioned escaping reality, becoming immersed in another world, and the enjoyment they got from using their imaginations. In general, different age groups often cited the same reasons for reading, but some differences stood out.
Adults in their forties, fifties, and early sixties, for instance, were more likely than other readers to say they most enjoyed relaxing while reading and having quiet time. And the very youngest readers, high schoolers ages 16-17, were more likely than other age groups to say they especially liked the entertainment value of reading—the drama of good stories, or the suspense of watching a good plot unfold. (This was also the reason most often given by this age group for reading overall.)
Books read over the past year, by format
In addition to books read overall, we also asked readers whether they had read books in
various formats over the past year. As a rule, book readers in each cohort were equally as likely to have read a printed book in the past year. But there were generational differences that emerged when it came to other formats:
- Among book readers, high schoolers (ages 16-17), along with readers over 65, are less likely than other age groups to have read an e-book in the past year. Overall, 16% of all those ages 16 and older read an e-book in the past year–that amounts to 21% of the book readers in our sample.
- Book readers over age 30 are somewhat more likely to have read a print book in the past year than readers ages 16-29 (93% vs 90%). Overall, 93% of all readers 16 and older read a print book in the past year.
- Readers in their late 20s (ages 25-29) are somewhat more likely than other age groups to have listened to an audiobook. Overall, 14% of all readers 16 and older listened to an audiobook in the past year.
Previous reports have shown that despite the growing popularity of e-readers and tablets, a substantial proportion of e-book readers access their e-books on desktops, laptops, and cell phones.[9. Overall, 42% of e-book readers read their books on a computer; 41% read them on a dedicated e-reader like a traditional Kindle or Nook; 29% read them on their cell phones, and 23% read them on a tablet computer. See: “E-books aren’t just for e-readers: A deep dive into the data”
http://libraries.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/20/e-books-arent-just-for-e-readers-a-deep-dive-into-the-data/] In fact, just as many e-book readers consume e-books on a desktop or laptop computer as on a dedicated e-reader (such as a Kindle or Nook), and more people read e-books on their cell phones than on tablet computers.
However, there are significant differences in e-reading habits by age. When adults over age 30 read e-books, almost half (46%) do so on an e-reader. Yet e-book readers under age 30 are actually
less likely than older e-book readers to own e-readers, and instead consume their e-books on a desktop or laptop computer (55%) or cell phone (41%).
Reading “yesterday”
Among people read a book in the past year, 47% of those ages 16-29 (and 45% of all readers) said they had been reading a book the day before they were contacted for our survey. These “yesterday” readers can paint a picture about what a “typical day” of book readers looks like. In this case, high schoolers and those ages 50 and older are generally more likely than other age groups to say they read a book “yesterday.”[10. As the national 2011 survey was in the field from November 16-December 21, 2011, the number of college-aged students who said they were reading a book “yesterday” may be influenced by final exams and holiday breaks.]
In addition, high school-age readers, college-aged readers, and readers 65 and older are more likely to say that they read a
print book yesterday, while readers in their late twenties, thirties, and forties are more likely to say they read an
e-book or
audiobook yesterday.
The changing reading habits chronicled in
our recent reports are intrinsically tied to the new formats and devices on which people read. In our late 2011 national survey, we found that younger Americans have high levels of ownership of mobile devices like cell phones and laptops, especially compared with adults ages 65 and older.
Of course, age is not the only factor at play—we also see strong correlations by education and household income. And there is not always a straightforward correlation; for instance, though adults 65 and older are the age group least likely to own any of the gadgets we asked about, adults in their thirties and forties
most likely to own e-readers and tablets.[6. numoffset="6" The most recent data available for ownership of all devices is available on our website:
http://pewresearch.org/internet/Static-Pages/Trend-Data-%28Adults%29/Device-Ownership.aspx]
Younger Americans are also online at higher rates than older adults: More than nine out of ten Americans ages 16-29 (95%) use the internet or email, compared with 78% of adults over age 30.
Our online panel of young e-book borrowers tended to describe themselves as tech-savvy and constantly connected. A respondent in his late twenties wrote that he is “always” online: “I keep my email and browser with Facebook running all the time. I use it constantly throughout the day. I use my phone for texting and receiving weather alerts. I connect my laptop to my TV to watch Netflix. I try to keep up to date on the latest devices.” A high school-aged panelist said, “I use the computer and my iPod Touch all the time to talk with my friends online, email, social networking, picture editing, homework, shopping, just about anything.”
Similarly, a panelist in her late twenties wrote that she loves to do research on her internet-connected devices: “I enjoy being able to look up information as soon as I have a thought.” Another panelist, in her early twenties, described how technology has become a part of her and her husband’s daily routines: “I am usually slower to adopt devices, but the iPad had multiple uses for our household. My husband is in school and uses it to take notes in class. I use it for e-books and for quick email and [traffic alerts] at home. We both take the iPad with us when we travel for email, mapping, and finding information about local eateries and destinations. We also use it for looking up information when we are watching TV, or if we are having a discussion and need to confirm a statement that someone makes in conversation.”
Another college-aged panelist wrote that while she has many devices, there are some things they can’t replace:
“I love gadgets! I really appreciate the ability to check out books online now via the Kindle, too. I think it would be very helpful to have a wider selection of e-books to check out because I am a [college student] currently, it would save time with homework, etc. I use my Kindle Fire for emails, reading, and homework bits. The cell phone is useful for faster checking of things online or obviously calling or messaging. Nothing beats going to the library on a rainy day though!”
Others did not see themselves as early adopters in general; as a college-aged panelist wrote, “I'm not very tech-savvy, but I love my e-reader!”
Echoing the responses from the rest of the panel, many of our younger respondents cited the high cost of new gadgets as a reason for not always staying up with the latest technology trends. “I like to wait to get digital devices until the second or third version and the price has dropped and they've worked the major bugs out,” one college-aged panelist told us, adding: “I am not a huge fan of using the internet on the go, but like being able to carry a Kindle with me; it's lighter and smaller than a book, but has a whole library on it.” Another panelist, a woman in her late-twenties wrote, “I'm a web designer who loves new gadgets but can rarely afford them—so I'm an early adopter of concepts, but not usually of the product.”
Though our e-book borrowing panelists were by definition e-book readers, they didn’t necessarily prefer digital to print, as a respondent in her late twenties described: “I am a very reluctant technology user. I only occasionally request e-books, as I prefer the overall experience of reading an actual book. It somehow feels more warm and personal. However I do take advantage of digital audiobooks from the library, which are very convenient to use while in the car or even while shopping.” A college-aged panelist wrote that while he uses his gadgets for web browsing and other activities, he only reads books on his e-reader— “I don't like to read on computer screens similar to my tablet and computer monitors.”
Reasons for reading
As discussed
in one of our previous reports, we asked all of the respondents in our late-2011 national survey their main reasons for reading. This question is meant to explore respondents’ reasons for reading
any type of content, including books, magazines, journals, newspapers, and online content. Among all Americans:
- 80% of all Americans ages 16 and older say they read at least occasionally for pleasure, including 76% of those under age 30.
- 78% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally to keep up with current events, including 73% of those under age 30.
- 74% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally in order to do research on specific topics that interest them, including 81% of those under age 30.
- 56% of all Americans say they read at least occasionally for work or school, including 81% of those under age 30.[7. More information is available in “The rise of e-reading” (2012): http://libraries.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/]
In general, younger respondents are more likely to read for work or school, or to research topics of interest to them; older respondents are generally more likely to read for pleasure, or to keep up with current events.
As shown above, respondents ages 16-29 are somewhat less likely than adults 30 and older to say they read for pleasure; 76% of those younger than 30 read for this reason, compared with 81% of adults 30 and older.
Younger Americans, particularly high schoolers, are more likely than older age groups to say they read to keep up with current events “a few times a week,” while older adults are more likely to say they do so every day (and are more likely to read for this reason overall).
High schoolers and adults 65 and older are less likely to say they read in order to research specific topics they are interested in; college-aged adults, as well as those in their late twenties and thirties, are more likely than other age groups to say they read for this reason.
Finally, high schoolers (ages 16-17) are the age group most likely to read daily for work or school: 68% read for work or school every day or nearly every day—significantly more than college-aged adults (52%)—and they are most likely to read for this reason overall.
Reading habits: Books
According to our December 2011 national survey:
- 72% of all Americans ages 16 and older read at least one book in the past year in print, including 75% of those under age 30.
- 17% of all Americans read at least one e-book, including 19% of those under age 30.
- 11% listened to at least one audiobook, including 11% of those under age 30.
Overall, 78% of all Americans—and 83% of those under age 30—had read at least one book in any format in the previous 12 months.[8. The Pew Internet Project updated the book-reading and e-book reading figures after the holiday gift-giving season and reported on those higher figures in “The rise of e-reading” (2012):
http://libraries.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/]
Though the adults over age 65 who read books read significantly more books in the past year than most younger age groups, there are no statistically significant differences by age group based on the median number of books read. (At the same time, those over age 65 were also significantly more likely than younger respondents to have read
no books in the previous year.)
The following chart shows both the mean (average) number and median (midpoint) number of books read by members of each age group in the previous year.
What younger readers like most about reading books
We also asked all of those who had read a book in the past 12 months to tell us what they like most about reading books. The most common response overall was learning, gaining knowledge, and discovering information; others mentioned escaping reality, becoming immersed in another world, and the enjoyment they got from using their imaginations. In general, different age groups often cited the same reasons for reading, but some differences stood out.
Adults in their forties, fifties, and early sixties, for instance, were more likely than other readers to say they most enjoyed relaxing while reading and having quiet time. And the very youngest readers, high schoolers ages 16-17, were more likely than other age groups to say they especially liked the entertainment value of reading—the drama of good stories, or the suspense of watching a good plot unfold. (This was also the reason most often given by this age group for reading overall.)
Books read over the past year, by format
In addition to books read overall, we also asked readers whether they had read books in
various formats over the past year. As a rule, book readers in each cohort were equally as likely to have read a printed book in the past year. But there were generational differences that emerged when it came to other formats:
- Among book readers, high schoolers (ages 16-17), along with readers over 65, are less likely than other age groups to have read an e-book in the past year. Overall, 16% of all those ages 16 and older read an e-book in the past year–that amounts to 21% of the book readers in our sample.
- Book readers over age 30 are somewhat more likely to have read a print book in the past year than readers ages 16-29 (93% vs 90%). Overall, 93% of all readers 16 and older read a print book in the past year.
- Readers in their late 20s (ages 25-29) are somewhat more likely than other age groups to have listened to an audiobook. Overall, 14% of all readers 16 and older listened to an audiobook in the past year.
Previous reports have shown that despite the growing popularity of e-readers and tablets, a substantial proportion of e-book readers access their e-books on desktops, laptops, and cell phones.[9. Overall, 42% of e-book readers read their books on a computer; 41% read them on a dedicated e-reader like a traditional Kindle or Nook; 29% read them on their cell phones, and 23% read them on a tablet computer. See: “E-books aren’t just for e-readers: A deep dive into the data”
http://libraries.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/20/e-books-arent-just-for-e-readers-a-deep-dive-into-the-data/] In fact, just as many e-book readers consume e-books on a desktop or laptop computer as on a dedicated e-reader (such as a Kindle or Nook), and more people read e-books on their cell phones than on tablet computers.
However, there are significant differences in e-reading habits by age. When adults over age 30 read e-books, almost half (46%) do so on an e-reader. Yet e-book readers under age 30 are actually
less likely than older e-book readers to own e-readers, and instead consume their e-books on a desktop or laptop computer (55%) or cell phone (41%).
Reading “yesterday”
Among people read a book in the past year, 47% of those ages 16-29 (and 45% of all readers) said they had been reading a book the day before they were contacted for our survey. These “yesterday” readers can paint a picture about what a “typical day” of book readers looks like. In this case, high schoolers and those ages 50 and older are generally more likely than other age groups to say they read a book “yesterday.”[10. As the national 2011 survey was in the field from November 16-December 21, 2011, the number of college-aged students who said they were reading a book “yesterday” may be influenced by final exams and holiday breaks.]
In addition, high school-age readers, college-aged readers, and readers 65 and older are more likely to say that they read a
print book yesterday, while readers in their late twenties, thirties, and forties are more likely to say they read an
e-book or
audiobook yesterday.
Magazines and newspapers
When we asked about regular news consumption, we found a clear correlation with age:
- Some 40% of Americans under age 30 regularly read daily news or newspapers, compared with 62% of older adults.
- Younger Americans are also are less likely to read newspapers on any particular day; among these regular news readers, 56% of those under age 30 read news on a typical day, compared with 78% of those over 30.
- Additionally, among regular news readers, 71% of those under age 30 consume their news on a computer or handheld devices such as a tablet, e-reader, or cell phone, compared with 51% of older adults.
Younger Americans are less likely than older adults to regularly read magazines or journals, but the differences are less stark than with news:
- 42% of those under age 30 regularly read magazines or journals, compared with 50% of older adults.
- Among those who regularly read magazines and journals, 36% of those under age 30 do so on a typical day, compared with 48% of older adults.
- 45% of magazine and journal readers under age 30 read their magazines or journals on a computer or handheld devices such as a tablet, e-reader, or cell phone, compared with 30% of older adults.
How patron’s reading habits have changed since reading and borrowing e-books.
