Tech-Savvy Parents Still Choosing Print for Their Kids

a few years ago, preschool-aged children were the demographic least likely to be given ebooks to read, while teens were reported to be the least likely age group to choose ebooks for themselves. At the time, it seemed that the device was the issue; teens viewed their portable devices as social or entertainment tools, and parents of younger children were shy about handing a toddler an expensive tablet. That dynamic has changed to some extent, notably with the advent of tablets and smartphones becoming more widespread and less expensive. But now, a Pew Internet study demonstrates that parents are still choosing print books for their children in order to connect with the nostalgia of enjoying a book in the way that they did as kids. According to a write-up of the report by Kathryn Zickuhr, “More than nine in ten parents of minor children say it is important to them that their children read print books—eighty-one percent say it is ‘very important,’ and an additional 13% say it is ‘somewhat important.’ Very few say having their children read print books is ‘not too important’ (3%) or ‘not important at all’ (3%).” While the research survey itself didn’t explain why parents felt that it was important for their children to experience print reading despite the increased numbers of Americans over age sixteen who now own e-readers or tablets, there was some information from focus groups that provided a little insight. Some parents felt that reading a print book–for both their children and themselves–modeled good reading behavior. While reading on an electronic device, especially a tablet, kids can’t know that the parents are reading rather than playing on social media. Other parents wanted to pass on the childhood memories that the print book experience brought with it. For many parents, print reading may actually result from a more intentional “power down” mentality. With the abundance of devices available, concerned parents are actually making intentional headway into getting their children to pursue other activities with portions of their time. Tech-Savvy Parents Still Choosing Print for Their Kids is a post from: E-Reader News

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