Contrary to popular belief, the written word still hasn't been surpassed by modern technology.
From Forbes:
According to the latest Pew Research Center survey on book reading, 18- to 29-year-olds are the age group most likely to have read a book in any format over the past year. Fully 80% have done so, compared to 73% of 30- to 49-year-olds, 70% of 50- to 64-year-olds, and 67% of the 65+. When asked why they read books or any written content in general (such as magazines or blogs), Millennials are far more likely than older adults to say it’s for a specific purpose, such as work, school, or research. But they’re also equally likely to read “for pleasure” or “to keep up with current events.”
I've always been an avid reader but often thought I was alone in this since none of my peers seemed to share my sentiments.
These findings are echoed by a recent report from the National Endowment of the Arts(NEA). The study examined the narrower category of “literature,” or novels, plays, short stories, or poems not required by work or school. Last year, 43% of 18- to 34-year-olds read literature, outmatched only by 65- to 74-year-olds (at 49%)—early-wave Boomers well known for their high level of educational attainment and penchant for high culture. An older NEA report found that the share of 18- to 24-year-olds who read literature rose sharply starting in 2002—in other words, when this age group began to be dominated by Millennials.
It also seems like I'm not alone in my aversion to e-readers and audiobooks.
Print books remain by far the most popular format among all age groups. Last year, 72% of Americans read a print book, dwarfing the share who read an e-book (35%) or listened to an audiobook (16%). And according to the Pew study, adults under 30 are no more likely than their elders to read digital books exclusively (around 6%).A survey of college studentsfound that 92% prefer reading print material to digital material. If the cost of the print and digital copy of a leisure book were the same,80% would pick the paper version. Even late-wave Millennials and homelanders are attached to hard copies: In 2014, nearly two-thirds (65%) of 6- to 17-year-olds told Scholastic they’ll “always want to read books in print,” up from 60% two years earlier.
Is this surprising to you as well? If anything it gives me hope that modern sensibilities and technology will never dampen the joy of a good book. More from the Forbes article here.