Time, money draw Chinese readers to digital devices
Updated: 2014-04-25 10:00
(English.news.cn)
|
||||||||
Wang Siyuan's longtime reading habit was shaken up when China gained access to the Internet 20 years ago.
The latest word on books: Keep those pages coming |
"As an English major in college, I found a lot more to read from the Internet in the late 1990s, though I prefer to read on paper," said Wang.
Now the 39-year-old Wang works as a financial consultant during the day, but at night he has another life as a web writer.
His latest martial arts fantasy novel, "A Fox Goddess," received over 49,000 hits online in just two months. His avid online followers are always waiting for the best installment ever, said Wang.
"I need to borrow ideas from loads of stories, so I often indulge myself in a bookstore on weekends. But for other limited periods of time, I have to read on the Internet and on portable devices," said Wang.
Wang is among the growing number of Chinese who are doing most of their reading on screens, a trend that has been driven by a lack of time for reading and the rising cost of printed books.
According to a newly released report by China's 11th National Reading Survey, 50% of readers chose to read online or on devices in 2013. The number is almost double that of 2008. More than 50% of readers said a lack of time was the most prominent factor that led them to go digital, the survey said.
"The quick pace of modern life has deprived people of reading paperback books according to the study. People have to read in fragmented time," said Guo Meng, a psychology professor with Beijing's Capital Normal University.
For thousands of commuters in Beijing, reading on tablets just fills the blanks on the subway.
"I've got to 'steal' time to read on my Kindle on the train," said Zhao Jing, a woman in her twenties who spends at least 60 minutes on the train on her way to the office.
- 'Taken 2' grabs movie box office crown
- Rihanna's 'Diamonds' tops UK pop chart
- Fans get look at vintage Rolling Stones
- Celebrities attend Power of Women event
- Ang Lee breaks 'every rule' to make unlikely new Life of Pi film
- Rihanna almost thrown out of nightclub
- 'Dark Knight' wins weekend box office
- 'Total Recall' stars gather in Beverly Hills
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Beijing integrates with Tianjin, Hebei |
Enemies share eternity together |
Expats flee big, smoggy cities |
Life after an only child dies |
Parents put kindergartens to the test |
Nomads change for education |
Today's Top News
A window into China's big dilemmas
Celebrated sculptor seeks to establish art museum
China calls on talent worldwide
Infrastructure opening to foreign investors
Supreme Court ruling mixed news for SCA-5
Top Chinese legislator meets U.S. House majority leader
Obama criticized for Diaoyu Islands remarks
Opinion: Asia's future at risk
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |