The printed page remains more popular among college students, according to findings of a new study by OnCampus Research, a division of the National Association of College Stores (NACS). This is despite screaming headlines proclaiming the death of the printed book due to burgeoning digital content and electronic reading devices, the study says. OnCampus Research seeks to help companies better understand the college market.
The OnCampus Research Electronic Book and E-Reader Device survey, conducted in early October, found that only 13 percent of college students had purchased an e-book of any kind during the previous three months. Of that percentage, slightly over half (56%) stated that the primary purpose of their e-book purchase was required course materials for class.
The new survey also confirmed a finding of NACS' 2010 OnCampus Student Watch survey, conducted last fall, in which 74 percent of college students preferred print over digital.
The study also says more students are reading e-books on a computer rather than a dedicated e-reading device. In fact, 92 percent of students indicate they currently do not own an e-reader, and of those, 59 percent said they do not plan to purchase one in the next three months.
Approximately 77 percent of the students who said they recently purchased an e-book indicated that they used a laptop computer or Netbook to read it. Desktop computer was the second most popular choice (30 percent), followed at 19 percent by a smartphone, such as an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android. Another 19 percent reported using an e-reader like a Kindle or Nook. A tablet computer, such as an iPad, was the least common reading device used by students, selected by only 4 percent of respondents.
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