The Teen Reading study asked a number of questions about young people’s reading preferences and experiences, in both “open fields” in our survey and in interviews. Teens were able to tell us in their own words about how they felt about reading in general and about reading long form texts using digital platforms. An interim, single researcher coding of the question “How do you feel about reading on digital devices?” yielded the following breakdown:
- Around 63% said that they preferred reading paper books, or that they disliked reading on digital devices
- Around 12-13% leaned towards paper books but had some positive things to say about eReading on devices
“I like reading real books in my hand … but with eBooks on small devices, I can carry multiple books easily without worrying about bending pages in my bag…”
- Around 12% preferred eBooks, mainly because they found it easier to search for them, or felt that it was easier to get hold of them free of charge
“I read a lot on devices because it is easier than having to buy every book you read”
- Around 13% didn’t provide an answer or said that they really didn’t like reading at all.