A recent study on Gen Z’s reading habits reveals that the younger generation is not abandoning reading, but rather changing the way they consume books. The study, conducted by authors of ‘How Gen Z Discover and Consume Books,’ found that 66% of Gen Z identify as readers, up 14 percentage points from 2022. In fact, 65% of Gen Z read at least one print book in the previous 12 months, up from 59% in 2022.
Postdigital Generation of Readers
Gen Z is the first generation to grow up with internet access from an early age, and as a result, their reading habits are shaped by this constant availability of online content. The study found that Gen Zers prefer physical books, with 36% saying they found a book through a librarian, up from 15% in 2022. Additionally, nearly one-third of Gen Zers bought a book in a physical bookstore, which was their preferred place to find new books.
The study also found that Gen Zers are more likely to experience reading as a social activity, with the growing popularity of silent reading parties and literary cosplaying. The authors argue that current methods to measure recreational reading are not capturing the full scope of how Gen Z reads, and that the postdigital generation is not ‘postliterate,’ but rather, their literacy involves interpreting, evaluating, and creating meaning across a range of texts, media, and social contexts.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
