“Twenty years ago the National Endowment for the Arts
reported that 43% of 18-24-year-olds had not read a single poem, play,
novel, or short story in the preceding 12 months,” says the New York
Daily News. Have things changed much since that pre-social media report?
They likely have gotten worse.
Access to books, by virtue of the Internet, is greater than ever
in the history of civilized society in America, but Gen Z readership is unique BookRiot
cited how Gen Z prefers print books over digital books, saying:
“Gen Z readers vastly prefer physical print
books over ebooks. Only 14% of sales in their age group were ebooks last year.
When interviewed about why this is by Business Insider, the usual bookish
reasons cropped up first: loving that beautiful book smell that can’t be
replicated on an ereader; the ability to curate a physical book collection and
acquire special edition copies; the growing practice of annotating and tabbing
books in creative ways.
“The reasons don’t stop there, however. A number of Gen Z
readers are citing digital eye strain as something print books give them relief
from. Print books also make it easier to focus on the narrative, instead of the
built-in distractions of your phone, ereader, or browser. More and more, young
adults aged 16-24 are also participating in digital detoxes to decrease their exposure
to social media.”
So, what will it take to get more young adults to read more
books and shorter pieces of literary delight?
Whether things are consumed usually come down
to one or more of these factors:
* Time
* Money
* Education
* Need
* Desire
* Awareness
* Availability
* Emotional Mindset
* Options
* Upbringing
Do younger people have:
1. Time to read books?
An hour a day will lead to a finished book in a week.
2. Funds to buy a book?
So many are free online or at a library.
3. The knowledge and ability to read?
Our literacy rate is quite high.
4. A need to read a book?
Not always, but sometimes a book is better than surfing the web.
5. A desire to read a book?
If they need a break from Netflix, social media, or work/school,
try a book.
6. An awareness of books?
They are everywhere!
7. An availability to read?
It is up to each of us to be available for things we value.
8. Are they emotionally open to reading?
So many have anxiety and stress; reading should relax them.
9. How were they brought up?
Gen Z is a product of Gen X and some older Millennials, and
books were valued by those generations, so Gen Z should have been inculcated
with the book value.
10. How do books stack up against other content
options?
This is where we hit a brick wall. Blogs, podcasts, videos,
social media, websites, texting, apps, news feeds, streaming services, cable
TV, music, video games, radio, magazines, newsletters, movies, plays, webinars,
seminars, speakers, concerts… it is a long list of distraction and competition.
Books are fighting for the young American mind.
My two teens are Gen Z. My daughter is a voracious book reader.
Paper books at that. My son reads a lot — just not books. I guess one out of
two ain’t bad, but we can do better.
We need to.
Need PR Help?
Brian
Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page
views, can be reached at [email protected] He is available to help authors promote their story,
sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in
successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your
advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian
Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be
followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a “best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence
College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
