(Tiper Stock Exchange) – There is 17% of Italians (15-74 years old) who read, but only online or on smartphones. These are people who use editorial content on social networks, online on specialized sites or dedicated to fan fiction, but who are not familiar with books, not even in electronic or audio versions. The data was presented at More freer books – National fair of small and medium-sized publishing organized by the Italian Publishers Association (AIE) and scheduled until 11 December at Nuvola and Rome, during the meeting The other ways of reading, organized in collaboration with ALDUS UP, funded by the European Commission as part of Creative Europe.
“We are talking about 17% of Italians – explained Giovanni Peresson, head of the AIE research office – who, while not reading books, ebooks, listening to audiobooks, express a request for escape, information, updating by reading editorial content from other devices. It is an audience that can be intercepted but which also poses critical issues: we are talking about people with low literacy skills and who may have difficulty approaching more complex reading systems”.
Together with Gianni Peresson, who illustrated the data, Angelo Piero Cappello (Centre for books and reading) and Elisa Salamini (Mamamò) took part, with the moderation of Cristina Mussinelli (AIE research office).
There research also shows that the percentage of people who refuse any type of reading is declining: it went from 16% in 2017 to 14% in 2019, before settling at 11% in 2022.
As regards the media through which Italians access narrative worlds, that of practical utilities and that of cultural insights and dissemination, television is confirmed as the most followed media by far, social networks are growing, but the book – in its print, ebook or audio versions – continues to play a huge role. As regards narrative worlds in particular, free-to-air TV is the gateway for 75% of Italians, pay TV for 62% (in strong growth), books for 53%, reached this year from authorial social networks (53%). Youtube at 46%, cinema at 36%, ebook at 31%.
In the world of practical utilities, the book stands at 35% while tutor-webinars dominate the first places with 55%, thematic social networks (55%), television programs (53%), specialist sites (37%).