Why Do 62% of Young People Prefer to Read in Print?

The Guardian reports that 62% of 16–24 year-olds prefer printed books over eBooks. It’s surprising news, of course, because millennials and digital natives are purportedly so attached to their devices that they’re practically living online. Maybe printed books are a welcome escape from screens. Or maybe, as The Guardian suggests, the upfront cost of buying an eReader is too expensive (although most eReaders have free app counterparts for the iOS and Android devices those kids likely already own) or printed books can be shared with friends (although Kindle allows customers to borrow books). But what do kids know anyway?

Debating the advantages of either format is, by now, tiresome. Books should simply be available to readers in whatever format they prefer. And, in any case, the most exciting revelation of this survey? Kids are reading.

Read the article here.

(photograph by Jill Mead)