1 in 10 adults own an e-reader
19th July 2012 - 1:31pm
A tenth of adults in Britain currently own an e-reader, with many people crediting the devices with rekindling their love of reading, a new Ofcom study reveals.
The Communications Market Report 2012 found that e-reader adoption continues to increase at a steady pace, with 41 per cent of owners claiming that they have read more since buying the device than when they only purchased physical titles.
This trend is most prominent among the 18 to 34 demographic, with 53 per cent stating that they have read more since buying an e-reader.
Many people's main reason for purchasing an e-reader was to take it on holiday, with 53 per cent citing its ease of use, half of people acknowledging the convenience of not having to carry lots of books in their suitcase and 45 per cent welcoming the lightweight aspect of the device.
Books are not the only thing being consumed through e-readers, with many people now using the devices to subscribe to their favourite magazines or newspapers.
One in ten e-reader owners now read fewer paper magazines than before they bought the device, while eight per cent buy fewer physical newspapers.
Ofcom concluded that e-readers have a 'positive impact' on the amount people read and predicted that this will continue as adoption increases in the months and years ahead.