Digital Book Growth Continues & Tablets Overtaking E-Readers

When was the last time you read a book? I mean a real book – one that’s made out of paper. The chances are that you devour books in the electronic format more than the traditional form. There is nothing wrong with that, although arguments can be made to the contrary. No matter how hard we cling to the old ways, it seems that change is not going to go away.

In a recent study conducted by Pew Internet, the findings clearly show that people who read e-books are growing in numbers – at least in the United States. Figures show that in the age group 16 years old and above, the population of e-book readers has increased from 16% to 23%. Logically, the number of people who read printed books declined from 72% to 67%.

Tablets overtaking e-readers

Naturally, readers – voracious or not – need a device to read their e-books. It is easy to see that the rise in the popularity of tablets and e-readers has greatly contributed to the increase in e-book readership.

E-reading Device Ownership

On another note, it seems that Americans are consuming their digital books using tablets more than dedicated e-book readers. The same study shows that 25% of Americans own tablets (iPads and Kindle Fires, for example). Compare this to the “only” 19% who own Nooks and Kindles.

The rise of digital books

A good number of Americans read books in the year 2012 – 75%. The formats are mixed: printed, e-books, and audiobooks. It is clear, however, that e-books are starting to dominate the scene. Even libraries have opened up to lending out e-books to their patrons. While this activity is not as big as lending out printed books yet, it should not come as a surprise if the numbers even out at some point.

With e-books being affordable, convenient to bring along, and easy to download, the rise of this format is only bound to skyrocket. Not to mention the continuous releases of new devices that can be used to read e-books.

[Images via readrw & Pew Internet]