A series of Interviews with Millennials and Generation Z digital savvy and print enthusiasts. on their media consumption behaviours.
Q When was the last time you read something in print?
A It was a book called Odysseus
Q Do you still have it?
Q Is there anything aesthetically that makes you want to keep the book?
A It’s a really pretty book actually, it has like a teal wave to it, as well as its content
Q Where do you keep it?
A In my bookshelf, above my bed frame, with other classics, that are also visually appealing. It just gives that impression to a room, having a book like Odysseus.
Q Do you know if there’s an online version of this book?
A I don’t really know but i assume there may be one as it’s written in many different languages, so i assume there is one. But i wouldn’t want to read it online. I would never think of buying a book online, its the whole experience of having it in your hands, holding the pages, take notes, highlight paragraphs.
Q Where do you read your book?
A I like to read it at home, sometimes on my way to work, but not necessarily in the evening. More so on the weekends because after work I’m really tired and I like to do other things, like going to the gym. But to and from work for sure, I prefer reading my book in print, as it also kick starts my brain and allows me to be productive.
Q How often do you read on print?
A I would say quite a lot I finish around ten to fifteen books per year. Especially now during the summer and when on vacation.
Q Do you consider reading in print a bit of a luxury in terms of your time and money?
A Yeah definitely its a luxury to have the time to sit silently on your own and read a book, its for imagination and language improvement. If its a really good book, i’ll read it for hours, but Odysseus, since it’s a very complex book I will read for an hour or so, in order to digest the information, in a quiet place.
Q What type of online reading do you do if not books?
A I mean I’ve tried reading books online, like on e-books, or kindles but I really don’t like it. So my opinion comes from an experienced place. But I actually do like reading the news in digital media’s defence, I don’t exactly purchase newspapers anymore. If you read the news on print, you read yesterdays news but online, you have access to live news at all times. Almost instantly.
Q Would you say your media consumption habits have changed in the last 5 years?
A I used to read the news on paper, radio or tv, and as ancient as it sounds, the Swedish newspaper app only came out 3 years ago. It’s also very contradicting, now that I think about it, I mean I’d rather have a book and hold it in my hands but that book lasts you forever, whereas with a newspaper I see it as a waste of material, and bad for the environment. So I guess that’s another reason why I chose to read the news online.
Q When was the last time you read something in print?
A It was a book, I can’t really remember the name of it but it was about story telling and ted talks
Q What made you buy such book?
A I saw it as a subject that could support me in my career and in my personal growth and development as a professional. The author is also someone that has curated ted talks so that also drew my attention towards it.
Q Did you not find any sources online that could have helped ?
A I am sure there are, I didn’t look, but I’m sure there are. The author probably has an online page with similar audience reach as her book. But I decided to buy the book because it was written from a narrative perspective, with plenty examples, and exercises I could re-use. A book that I could keep and look back to in the future, or share it with someone, whereas a link would be hard to keep track of.
Q So you wont throw this book away?
A I think one of the reasons why I like to buy printed media is due to the fact that I can keep it and perhaps, one day build a library build a library with all the books i’ve read or influenced my life, or represent things I love. And have it in my home, displayed as something I can cherish. I guess another good think about books is their size. Or when I buy magazines for example, with pictures, when I have these photographs in my hands looking closely at them and absorbing their content makes a huge difference in experience as to when looking at them on a screen.
Q Is there a type of print that you’d rather read online instead of putting in your moneys value?
A Yes, if I’m reading articles for work when doing research I’d rather go online instead of buying a book. Unless I’m writing a dissertation or a PhD, then i’d obviously consider physical printed material. Being published is a validation of your work in academics, but on my day-to-day research is mainly online. Other content, I would say the news. I’d rather read the news online than I would in print because I just don’t buy newspapers, but if i could and it was for free I would probably pick it up and enjoy it just as much but I wouldn’t do it as often. I simply don’t have the habit of doing so anymore. Back in the day, I remember growing up, it was something pretty common, there was newspapers everyday in my home, but when I got to the age of reading newspapers, everything was already digitalised. Part of my influence towards that type of print is that I grew up in an era where everything was digital and so what was normal to me was doing things online rather than on paper. And as I grew up i found the value of printed material.
Q Where do you read your print media?
A Primarily I read it when I’m commuting – my intention is to read when i’m at home as well and if i had the time, I would also read at work. Because books take time to read and you need to make time for them. But in my commute where I don’t do anything other than standing or sitting, i’d rather pick up my book and read it.
Q When was the last time you read something in print?
A It was a book called queen bees about the wives of the aristocratic families and its meant to help with my dissertation.
Q Is the book aesthetically pretty?
A Yes its pretty, its not a coffee table book though, not something I will lay out for adornment but definitely keep in my shelf with other books. I’ll take it home to Czech.
Q So you wont throw this book away?
A No, I will definitely keep it, even if it was only £10. I would never throw away a book if I have spent money on buying it. My dad has a huge library back home in Czech where we store every book we buy and read.
Q What type of book would you lay out for adornment in your home?
A Right, well that has to be a coffee table book, I really like big books. Like the Tom Ford ones, they are so beautiful and elegant, the Dior ones as well with all the garments and the Vogue photography ones. It’s more of a book with less text, so more image based and they are nice to lay out in the living room or sitting room.
Q Do you know if there’s an online version of Queen Bee’s?
A Yeah there is one, I found it on Amazon and there is also a kindle version. But to be honest I prefer reading on print, I hate reading things on the screen. It hurts my eyes, they get red and swollen and its just never comfortable to read on them.
Q Where do you read your books?
A I usually read at home, I try to do it before I go to bed because apparently its good for your eyes rather than reading on a screen. Otherwise I also like reading on a plane on my way to another country for holidays. As well as on the weekends, if i’m relaxing during the day.
Q How has your media consumption changed in the last years?
A I don’t read as much as i would like to read, but I would say if I have a book which I bought and would like to read, I would then read it within a week. So I would say that every month I have at least one new Print to read, whether it’s a magazine or a book, I definitely get magazines every month. But I guess in concrete terms, it has changed a bit, I do read online sometimes, when I have no choice. But I still choose to buy print and will probably still do it in the future. So it did change, but not drastically, I still prefer the physicality of a book or magazine, but as I said at times I find things online and it’s great to have both as alternatives.
