Adult readers still prefer printed word to e-books

Despite being considered part of the super-connected generation, young adult readers prefer printed books to e-books, a British marketing research firm found. In a survey conducted by Voxburner, 62 percent said they prefer print books to e-books, The Guardian reported Monday. "It is surprising because we think of 16-24s as being attached to their smartphones and digital devices, so it does shout out," said Luke Mitchell of Voxburner, which researched questions about buying and using content with 1,420 young adults. Printed books emerged as the media most desired in material form, ahead of movies (48 percent), newspapers and magazines (47 percent), CDs (32 percent) and video games (31 percent), the survey found. Survey respondents cited two major decision factors for preferring print over digital: value for money and an emotional connection to physical books. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed said e-books should be half their current price, while just 8 percent said they thought e-book pricing is appropriate. Reasons given for a preference for physical versions included "I like to hold the product," "I am not restricted to a particular device," "I can easily share it," "I like the packaging" and "I can sell it when used."