It would appear that E-books are eclipsing the traditional paper and hardbacks on holidays this year according to recent statistics.
A poll was released by travel agency sunshine.co.uk which found that the Kindle was the preferred choice for a means of becoming engrossed in a book this summer.
A total of 1,928 UK adults who had been abroad on holiday in the last 12 months were surveyed.
Of the holiday makers 51% had used an e-reader while 49% had opted for a traditional paperback or hardback book.
In the demographic, E-readers were most popular among those aged 40 or more, with only 11% of 18-25-year-olds using them. This surprised me a little given the preconception that younger people are more IT literate. However this may be more indicative of the type of holiday this demographic choose to go on. This of course falls into the 18-30s bracket, whereby drinking excessively and partying all night long are much higher on the list of holiday priorities than reading.
Of those who used an e-reader, 44% said it was easier to hold while 29% said it was easier to see in the sun. Kindles do have the advantage of being lighter and less bulky to transport, compared the weight of several books if you are an avid reader on holiday. I am curious, however, would you rather lose a £10 book or a £100 kindle while you are on the beach and fancy a quick dip? There are still benefits of the traditional book, in that they are cheaper and cause less fuss when lost. How do they fare in sand? A quick brush off would suffice for a book, but what if you got it in your Kindle? Are they really that practical on the beach? What if you drop them?
Of those sticking with traditional books, 24% felt e-readers were too expensive while 46% said they "simply preferred books". I am in this category still, as I like the feel of the book in my hand and how it smells. I have to spend most of my working life starting into a computer screen and therefore it boasts a welcome change to read paper! Also I am a collector of signed books, so how would I go about solving this dilemma?!
Despite my luddite attitude towards this I have an understanding of why people opt for the Kindle above the normal book. Maybe if I had one my opinion might change but for my holiday I will stick with my second hand paperback one from the trade ins on Amazon thanks!
Female First Lucy Walton