US readers turn increasing to digital books
US: US readers are increasingly opting for digital books instead of
ink-and-paper editions, according to a Pew Research Center study
released on Thursday.
The share of US adults reading electronic books rose to 23 percent in
November from 16 percent the same time last year, according to the Pew
study.
Meanwhile, ranks of people age 16 or older turning to pages of
printed books fell to 67 percent from 72 percent, the findings
indicated.
Overall, 75 percent of US adults read books in one form or another in
a slight slip from the 78 percent figure seen late in 2011, according to
the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The growing popularity of
e-books was in step with the hot trend in tablet computers, whether they
are dedicated reading devices such as Kindles or Nooks or multi-purpose
Internet portals such as Apple iPads or Google Nexus devices.
The portion of US adults with some kind of tablet jumped to 33
percent late this year, as compared with 18 percent as 2011 came to an
end, according to the Pew study.
Understandably, the number of people borrowing e-books from US
libraries also rose, findings indicated. People in higher education and
income brackets were more likely to be e-book readers, as were those
between the ages of 30 and 49, according to Pew. The findings were based
on a survey taken between October 15 and November 10.
AFP |