Gen Z loves books but rejects e-books, survey finds

One of the main features of generation Z, which was born between 1995 and 2015, is familiarity with the digital universe and new technologies. That said, it would be expected that the reading habit among younger people would be preferentially for e-books, right? However, you are wrong. Incredible as it may seem, recent research indicates that the generation Z prefers printed books.

Why physical books?

For a long time, one of the main fears of major publishers was the abandonment of physical books for digital ones. After all, this would result in fewer bookstores and, consequently, fewer job openings. In addition, electronic files open up a great deal of room for the dangers of digital piracy. However, despite the evolution of reading equipment, there is still a preference for physical books.

At least that's what this research that came out in the magazine shows. Pew Research

. In this case, the researchers interviewed American readers between 18 and 29 years old and asked if they preferred to read in e-book or printed book. To everyone's surprise, almost 70% of respondents stated that they preferred the physical material.

According to the interviewees, reading serves as a way to rest and get away from screens and internet connectivity. Therefore, it would not make much sense to change the traditional way of reading for a e-book, since there would still be contact with the screens.

It is even worth noting that one of the major complaints of the new generation is eye fatigue, due to the amount of time they spend staring at screens.

A generation that loves to read

Despite the stereotype that young people today only turn to social media, reading is still one of the most common forms of entertainment in the world. so much so that Tik Tok or even on Instagram, it is very common to find several pages and content about books and literature.

In this context, fantasy or science fiction books stand out, but other genres also have their place. Even networks work a lot as a way to engage and motivate readers within communities. For this reason, more and more young people prefer to go to bookstores and buy their books, always with a preference for printed ones.