For years, we’ve been hearing that print is dead and the electronic reading medium is the future — the whole future. And it’s not hard to imagine a day when no tree has to die for people to get all the reading they could want.
Half of Americans have already sprung for e-reading devices, where they can consume books, magazines, newspapers and other virtual fare. They are lightweight; they can hold large libraries in a small space; they can light up in the dark; and they can provide audio and video.
But there is one important group of people who would much rather do their reading in traditional formats. Not crotchety geezers living in the past, but teens and young adults, who confess a marked bias for doing things the way their great-grandparents did them.
A poll last year found that two-thirds of youngsters ages 6 to 17 prefer to read actual paper books. A Pew Research study found that 78 percent of those from ages 18 to 24 have read a print book in the past year — compared with 21 percent who have read an e-book. This inclination is somewhat surprising, because young people are less likely than their elders to read newspapers and magazines in print.
The University of Washington did a pilot study that provided e-textbooks free — and found that 1 of every 4 students bought the physical textbooks anyway. Asked what format they would have chosen absent the free e-book option, only 2 percent of the students said they would have gotten the digital version, with three-quarters opting for a hard copy.
That’s right. A lot of undergrads, given the choice between a free e-book on a device that weighs next to nothing, would rather spend money or go to the library so they can stuff their backpacks with bulky, heavy volumes. They’d rather tote a hard copy of whatever they’re reading for pleasure too.
Why? The e-reader’s ready access to the Internet can be a major distraction. Email and YouTube aren’t conducive to serious study. Naomi Baron, a linguistics professor at American University, did a survey of college students in several countries and found that 92 percent say they concentrate best reading a physical book.
Some young adults articulate strong feelings on the topic. “It’s my worst nightmare that some Christmas I’ll get a Kindle and have to pretend I like it,” says one recent university graduate of our acquaintance.
She likes the satisfaction of finishing a book, placing it on a shelf alongside others and letting it quietly remind her of its contents. “I have a growing collection and I intend to add to it,” she says.
Baron says that of the college students polled in Slovakia, “1 out of 10 talked about the smell of books. There really is a physical, tactile, kinesthetic component to reading.”
For many young people, and a few older ones, an e-book is a bit like seeing and hearing a loved one on Skype: It’s a useful option, but nothing beats a physical connection.
The above editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on March 14.
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