Digital readers are more likely to be writers than print-only readers, says a new report.
Sorry, typeset loyalists: A new report from the National Endowment for the Arts is making digital and audio readers look great.
The report, based on responses to the 2017 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, shows that digital and audio readers participate in literary activities well above the rate that print-only readers do: they visit more art fairs and museums, see more live performances, donate to the arts, and engage in other kinds of cultural activities.
Also, way more digital readers participate in book clubs—16 percent, as opposed to 2.6 percent of print-only readers—and more of them are creative writers (19.4 percent, as opposed to 6.7 percent of print-only readers).
Older adults make up a larger share of the print-only crowd than younger readers, which may account for their lower attendance at in-person activities, though at the moment it seems like they have the right idea about that. Now, time to follow their lead and hole up indefinitely if you can, hopefully with some snacks and whatever kind of book you like.
