Americans and their gadgets
Why people like to read:
- 26% of those who had read a book in the past 12 months said that what they enjoyed most was learning, gaining knowledge, and discovering information.
- 15% cited the pleasures of escaping reality, becoming immersed in another world, and the enjoyment they got from using their imaginations.
- 12% said they liked the entertainment value of reading, the drama of good stories, the suspense of watching a good plot unfold.
- 12% said they enjoyed relaxing while reading and having quiet time.
- 6% liked the variety of topics they could access via reading and how they could find books that particularly interested them.
- 4% said they enjoy finding spiritual enrichment through reading and expanding their worldview.
- 3% said they like being mentally challenged by books.
- 2% cited the physical properties of books – their feel and smell – as a primary pleasure.
Our director, Lee Rainie, recently spoke with ScribeMedia.org at the ARF audience measurement conference. In this video, Lee talks about the three revolutions that are disrupting the way people communicate and view content (the Internet Revolution, the Mobile Revolution, and the Social Network Revolution), as well as trends in methods of news consumption in America.
After years of modest activity, online phone calling has taken off: As of May 2011, a quarter (24%) of American adult internet users have placed phone calls online with a service such as Skype or Vonage. (That amounts to 19% of all American adults.)
