Surprising! Tech-savvy millennials prefer paper books
Young people still prefer curling up with a paper book over ereaders - even more so than their older counterparts - according to a study which dispels the stereotype that millennials are always hooked to technology.
The study, published in the journal Electronic Markets, found that adult consumers across all age groups perceive ownership of e-books very differently than ownership of physical books, and this could have important implications for those in the business of selling digital texts.
“We looked at what’s called psychological ownership, which is not necessarily tied to legal possession or legal rights, but is more tied to perceptions of ‘what is mine’,” said Sabrina Helm, an associate professor at University of Arizona in the US.
“Psychological ownership is important in people’s perception of how they value certain products or sResearchers convened four focus groups in different age ranges: one group of Baby Boomers; one group of members of Generation X; and two groups of millennials. The millennial groups were split into current college students and older millennials.
Participants across all age groups reported feeling a constricted sense of ownership of digital books versus physical books, based on the fact that they do not have full control over the products. For example, they expressed frustration that they often could not copy a digital file to multiple devices.
Along similar lines, many study participants lamented restrictions on sharing ebooks with friends, or gifting or selling the books, saying this made e-books feel less valuable as possessions than physical books.
Participants described being more emotionally attached to physical books, and said they use physical books to establish a sense of self and belonging.