FIGURE 2: When I have something complicated to read, I prefer to read:
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS
One of the key findings of our U.S. survey
was that 88 percent of respondents believe
they understand and can retain or use
information better when they read print on
paper, with only minor differences between
age groups. There is a lower preference for
reading on screen with the lowest being 41
percent of respondents selecting mobiles
and smartphones as useful for understand-
ing and retaining information.
The same trend was found for reading
complicated documents, with 80 percent
indicating a clear preference for reading
print on paper and reading on screens
showing a much lower preference than
print at below 16 percent across all age
groups. Mobiles and smart phones were
preferred by only 3 percent for reading
complicated materials. (eye strain, headaches, insomnia). Over-
all, the survey reported that 81 percent
of respondents preferred to read print on
paper when given the choice. These per-
centages drop to 39 percent for screens,
laptops and PCs, 30 percent for e-read-
ers and 22 percent for mobiles or smart-
phones. The preference for print on paper
is seen across all age groups and is strong
at over 77 percent.
See Figure 2 See Figure 3
See Figure 1
There are clear concerns that switch-
ing from printed books to digital methods
is affecting education:
The survey also revealed 81 percent
found printed media more relaxing to read,
while 62 percent of mobile/smartphone
users (rising to 73 percent among the 18
– 24 year olds) were concerned about how
these devices were damaging their health
• 68 percent believe that books are
more likely to encourage learning and
c o n t i n u e d o n pag e
46
print works!
We expected that print would still
be preferred by many, but the results
exceeded our expectations. They demon-
strated that the majority of people still
value paper-based communications for
many applications.
FIGURE 3: When given a choice, I prefer to read:
45