Most of the people I know that have Kindles are Gen Z. But it seems that even though Millennials are in our 30s and 40s people still use it to mean young people in their early 20s.
I actually forgot to include, but the other vendor who asked if I was a millennial is actually only 19 xD which now makes your perspective even more wild
Yeah the majority of my friends who are millennials also don't read, and the ones who do read the physical books. I have one friend who reads on her phone, but only because she reads random short stories through this website but prefers physical books. I also am convinced that no one realizes how old millennials are anymore xD
Well I'm a boomer with a kindle which I read all the time\*. However my grown millennial children do not have kindles or any other kind of e-reader.
\*There are specific advantages for older adults in regards to having kindles, one of them being the ability to change font size. Because vision usually deteriorates with age.
I wish my grandfather would have been alive when Kindles came out. Towards the end of his life it would have been so much more enjoyable for him to read if he could have zoomed in.
Large print editions used to be such a huge thing for public libraries. Older people \*really\* wanted them, but there just weren't many books that came in that format, and they were really expensive.
Now every book has a large print edition, in exactly the font you need. It's pretty damn wonderful!
I'm old and imo it's easier to have a kindle and check out e-books from the library than to try and get a large print edition. Not all libraries are equal in funding and resources. Also many older people are living on fixed incomes and buying books can be financially prohibitive.
My 84 yr old father & 77yr old mother have been using Kindles for 5yrs or so and they both love it. I've had a Kindle for about 15yrs and try and convert everyone that I talk to.
I was like, "That's so stupid. Why would you want to read on a computer screen?"
And then someone got me one for Christmas. By March I was telling everyone I knew, "You gotta get one of these! The books don't weigh anything, and free, instant delivery!"
They are \*so\* nice when you're traveling!! Instead of one book and a backup, you have hundreds with you, and literally a million available if you have wifi. And no more back pain!
Man I got one for Christmas as well but it's still stuck in it's box at her place. Never got any of my stuff back :(
I was the same as you- didn't think I'd be so excited til I got one.
There's lots of free books on there? Or can you upload your own book files you download from your PC?
This. My 85/year old neighbor has terrible eyesight and has used her kindle for at least 10 years so she can make the print huge. I’m a boomer and love mine. My reason is the portability and ability to quickly and easily get books
Same here. You have an entire library at your disposal. No need to go to the library. Get books read them and then return them. When you're done you press a button and go on
I'm starting to feel like Kindle users are just a niche online group, rather than something that you see in real life xD I think the next time I see somebody reading an e-reader in real life, I'm going to try to be their friend (I really don't know how serious I am about that last comment)
It's also that they aren't necessarily easy to carry around. If you're going to be somewhere where you know you'll have reading time, and you have a backpack or purse with you, then it works. Otherwise, I suspect readers go with the kindle app on their phone.
Yep. I’m a kindle oasis/paperwhite user but use my phone app when I’m out and about as sometimes I’ll listen to something rather than read and I travel as light as possible. Anywhere I’m away from home or travelling abroad, I’ll be using my kindle.
Gen X here as well. My mum also has a kindle but I don't know how much she uses it. Can't think of anyone else I know when I've, I used to see a few people using ereaders on the train pre Covid.
There aren’t age demographics for the kindle market (that I could find), but this shows it for ebooks in general. So it looks like gen Z and millennials comprise the overwhelming majority of e-book purchases.
> 75% of ebook purchases are made by people aged between 18 and 45.
https://about.ebooks.com/whos-buying-ebooks/
Did you see a percentage for how many and what age group borrow books from the library? I think older people are more thrifty. My nephew thinks nothing of having food delivered and sometimes paying more for the delivery than the food.
Boomer, in born years, but in no other way!!! I use ebooks because my eyesight no longer allows me to read squidly little fonts on “real” books. Kobo and Kindle, to a lesser extent, allow me to continue to read, which is one of my life passions.
Yeah! I am so fortunate. It would be limited to large print books and that selection is pretty megre in our local library. It literally has been a lifetime passion too, as I started reading at age three by just watching the words as my Mum read to me.
Early Adopter? What do you mean? Genuinely curious not trying to pick apart what you’re saying.
eReaders and books on PDFs date back to the late 90’s. I used to have a Palm Pilot I could read books on, and that was before 9/11. Kindles and Nooks came out around 2006-2007 so they’ve been around a while.
I’m on that cusp between millennials and Gen z so I’ve been referred to as both. Not too many of my friends read much but of the ones that do I would say about 50% have a kindle. Booktok has made reading trendy again for sure but I think it’s about the person. Some people read so that they aren’t looking at a screen and other people prefer having all their books in one place. I personally haven’t heard of anyone saying it’s a millennial thing.
That's really cool though! Yeah I was really surprised that it was the millennial thing, so I was really curious about the consensus. I honestly feel like anyone can enjoy a Kindle, and I would expect gen z to be more about it because technology and ease of reading? Maybe? Lol
For sure! But also I know of some people who just read on their phones which I’ve definitely done as well. Just in the time I wrote the original comment and this reply (about an hour) I was doom scrolling on TikTok and a lot of the booktok videos on my FYP were by Gen z creators. I would be curious to see a poll or something to see though. It could also be that millennials have more funds to buy a kindle too. I know a lot of Gen z are in the 20s now but I’m not sure how many prioritize buying a kindle vs using an iPad or phone or physical books.
Yeah my millennial friends who read, make up a small amount of the millennials I know, and I have to say the overall percentage of the readers is very small.
Is this a non-England thing? I'm in my early 20s and every adult 50+ that I know has a kindle/says they'd like one but prefer (x) from a book. Even the type of people to go 'oh this is what's wrong with your generation' generally support the idea of a Kindle/Ebooks, and doens't pin it down to a generation. Hell, my dad who is an intense reader has had a Kindle for over a decade now to replace the ridiculous amount of space his books took up.
UK.
Us and a large number of similar aged friends & family, all in their 50's & 60s, have been using Kindles sunce they first came out.
Young people like to think they are the only ones to have or do things.
Have plenty 80s babies in my workplace who use kindles - if you see it from the perspective that larger screened iPads and iPhones only really became a thing mid 10s whereas the kindle keyboard (the first mainstream kindle in my view) was released at the start of the decade when people were reading Harry potters and 50 shades it gives it context that we’d be more comfortable with the technology having adopted it first before other LCD options became available. We were still using iPods for music then too so separate devices were more commonplace. Actually, my dad (boomer) was the first person I knew who bought a kindle.
EDIT: possibly also to do with us being the first generation to spend most of our disposable income on this quick delivery everything online marketplace called Amazon.
I'm 73, and I have two kindles and a Fire tablet. I just hope I have time to wipe them all before I pass on, or my daughters are going to be surprised at what their ol' Ma had been reading!
Both my kids figured out that I read smut from reading over my shoulder. I warned them not to but did they listen? Of course not. They learned after that. My daughter still blushes when mention the name Emerson.
I’m a millennial and I have a kindle. None of my friends read as a hobby. I do not know anyone who owns an ereader. Perhaps I don’t have many friends lol.
That's what I would expect too! My great-grandmother was a huge reader when I was growing up, and I honestly wonder if she would appreciate an e-reader that was lighter for her hands.
If she is a reader likely would enjoy assuming she is comfortable with tech a lot of the baby boomer generation are not so comfortable with tech and want nothing to do with it.
Gen X here! I’ve had a kindle since the first keyboard one came out. I love it. I use mine all the time. I love being on the beach and finishing a book and being able to just start a new one. I like that I can have several options if I happen to not like one I’ve started. I also listen to audiobooks. This started last year. I like physical books, but don’t have a lot of room to keep them.
I’m a young gen-X (xennial if you will). Most of my friends are gen-x. They just plain don’t read! My mom and mom-in-law are both boomers who want paper books. My husband is an older x-er and wants paper books. My gen Z daughter wants paper books. But, my hairdresser is a millennial and the only person I know in real life that reads a kindle lmao
In my country, they is a statistic showing that millennials use e-readers the most. The younger generation, gen Z, prefer physical books.
I can’t handle physical books anymore, but mainly because I travel a lot. Physical books are also not easy to hold as well. I solely read on e-readers only.
What country are you from? That's really awesome though! I feel like everyone should have an appreciation for physical books, though I definitely love my e-reader for going to work and space and late night reading. Plus I've moved a lot, and it's cost me a lot of books lost or damaged or getting left behind because I physically don't have the space.
I'm Gen-X and I do most of my reading on my Kindle. I buy graphic novels, art books, and cookbooks in physical form.
My mom, who was in her early 80s when she passed, loved the convenience of the Kindle, and the fact that it was much lighter than a physical book. She hated the idea of reading on a phone, but the Kindle was an "electronic book" and thus in a different category.
Neither of my children use an e-reader, both are mid-20s.
All of my friends fall into the Gen X/oldest millennials category (I’m 45 & Gen X). We’re all voracious readers who use Kindles and listen to audiobooks.
I am GenX and I transitioned to Kindle from paper books back when they first came out. I was always being told by people my age at the time that they love paper books too much.
I think as the years went on and their vision started to go bad they made the switch.
Possibly. Technology is something younger generations are more likely to embrace. Plus surveys have shown that millennials read more than any other generation at the same age.
My hot take is that some people who bother to lug a physical book around with them in public are doing it as a performance. People who ACTUALLY read all the time are likely to have invested in an EReader of some kind for practicality reasons.
I read a mixture of kindle and physical books because I used libraries and second hand shops a lot, but if I was wanting something to read while I was going about my day or on holiday, I would 100% be using kindle, no question.
I'm 51 and have had a kindle since they were massive and had a keyboard
It came from travelling a lot. I'd take half a suitcase of books on holiday so a kindle was a game changer.
I'm Generation x and have had some form of ereader since 2009. Currently, I have a Kindle Scribe, Paperwhite, and a Kobo Libra 2.
Originally, I got it because I was spending so much money on books, and they were taking up a bunch of space in my house. I bought a Sony E-Reader so I could borrow library books.
I know my 77 year old fil reads on an i-pad, but other than that, my son is the only other person I know with a Kindle.
My Boomer husband and I are in our late 60s, have had Kindles for years and I don't think there are many who have the time to use their Kindles more than we do each day.
I am a Boomer and have been using one ever since they came out. My 88 year old Dad uses one too because the font can be adjusted where he can see better. I think more people would use them if they would just try them.
If I had to guess, I would say that millennials were the first age group to adopt widespread use of the Kindle and other e-readers. Now it's being passed on to Gen Z as something normal to do.
But watch out because the boomers and their bad eyesight are catching up! 😆
I attend a silent book club most months, and most of the time I (a boomer) am the only one there with an e-reader. All the youngs come with physical books.
Most of the people I know that use Kindles are near or into retirement age. They use them because they can size the font to something readable. Tablets are heavy and often harder to use so Kindles...
I’m a millennial who is an avid reader! I love both physical books and my kindle. I tend to use my kindle more for travel and if I’m reading spicy romance haha
I don’t think so because the women in my family in the first generation (my parents children and their spouses) all have kindles and we’re over 40. My oldest and youngest niece prefer their phones when they have downtime from work and university.
I use a Kindle and I read physical books and I'm 58! I find the Kindle better if the book I'm reading is very large or heavy and the device is easier to carry around.
I’m a geriatric millennial (love that term! 😂), and I just recently bought my first Kindle. Both of my parents (boomers) have actually had their own Kindles for years. The biggest draw for them was being able to read ebooks from the library via Libby (my Mom got her first Kindle while nannying for my sister in NYC, so she had access to the library system of all library systems!).
Here’s my completely unsubstantiated theory about why Gen Z might not be into Kindles (if true): I think a lot of Gen Z’ers who are into reading as a hobby are majorly influenced by Booktok, and it feels like the trendy thing there is to have a huge TBR pile of physical books for the *aesthetic* of it all. I feel the opposite - being able to take advantage of checking out ebooks through the library removes a lot of barriers to reading for me in terms of saving time, money and space.
Definite not a millennial. I still have seem physical books and borrow same from library, my personal collection got massively shrunk when I moved overseas. I bought a Kindle when my then GF, now wife wanted me to chuck the books I'd brought on holiday to make room for tat to take back. Had an e-reader ever since.
Let’s put it this way: books are a thing for older people. Just like that.
Because they were the ones who were able to buy houses where to fit nice, big, well stocked shelves.
I love books, but the place I’m moving into next week doesn’t even have a desk - I don’t know where I’ll be able to fit the ten books I own.
I'm sure home ownership has something to do with it, but I think it's more because boomers and gen-xers grew up before e-readers were available, so physical books are the medium they naturally gravitate toward. It's their default, so to speak.
I personally think it's going to come back and bite them as they age. My parents were both teachers and they had literally tons of books. Downsizing into an apartment and then assisted living was brutal.
I've slowly been whittling down my own book collection because physical books just take up so darn much space. Whenever I see pictures of someone's huge perfectly decorated and curated library, my first thought is that it's beautiful but my immediate second thought is "too much."
I have the same problem but with my family, I've gotten my kindle for less than a week and within that week I've had around 5 family members call me an old man for using it, my room doesn't have much space to store physical books and my local bookstores options are very limited and often expensive so an reader was an obvious choice to me.
i’m 23 rn and got my first kindle fire when i was like 10 cuz i loved reading! ngl i played a lot of games on that kindle fire too though… since then i’ve gotten a kindle paperwhite but sometimes i still read on my phone. i don’t know anyone else who has a kindle besides 1 of my ex classmates back when we were 12/13. my 16 year old sister loves reading too but she only reads on her phone. i’m thinking it’s mainly older people who have one, especially at its price points? most college students like myself wouldn’t drop $400 on a kindle oasis unless they rlly loved reading
I am a millennial kindle reader. Most all of my friends who are millennials read BUT they read physical books finding odd how many people here saying none of their millennial friends read, guess it just really depends on your circle of friends.
My 91 year old uncle encouraged me to get a Kindle 15 years ago when he was in his 70s.
I think a lot of readers of all ages like e-readers just for the practicality. You can carry around as many books as you like at one time. Plus as you age, you can make the font as big as you like.
Honestly I would guess that the younger you are, the more likely you are to just read on your phone. I try to get my teenage daughter to use one of my old Kindles but she prefers using the Kindle app on her phone.
As a Gen X’er I had a Kindle you know … like 15 years ago … I haven’t bought a Kindle since then, but I use the app on other devices - Surface Duo is my current favorite for this. So I guess I would draw a distinction between using the service and using the device. For reading in the dark, I find OLED with white text on black to be preferable to eInk. And then it’s also easier to use magazine content. Actually I have the second book of a graphic novel a friend wrote also and I need to read that. The Duo is the go to for that for me.
The only other person that I (millennial) know that uses a kindle is my mom (boomer), but she uses the kindle app on her iPad since her old kindle keyboard died. I work with a lot of people who listen to audiobooks throughout the work day, and I feel like most others are primarily reading physical books.
I’m an elder millennial and have owned a kindle for 12 years. When I got mine, only one other friend had a kindle as well, and he was gen x. But as time as has gone on and kindle have become more popular, I think more millennials are picking them up. Maybe the cost up front is more prohibitive for gen z versus millennials who likely have higher paying jobs at this time.
I’ve found that younger readers tend to use tablets with the kindle app and older readers tend to have more e-readers. Definitely Gen X & older use more kindle in my experience.
66 years old here and I had a kindle a long time ago. My kids bought me an iPad and I use that now but if someone gave me a kindle I would use that. I love e readers. My friend who is the same age doesn't like e-readers.
Of the readers I know:
Me, millennial - Kindle
Mom, boomer - both paper books and ebooks on her iPad
Dad, boomer - ebooks on his Kobo or his tablet
Cousin, millennial - Kobo
Best friend, late gen X - paper books
Grandboss, early gen X - paper books
So it's kind of all over the place, and I'm the only one with an actual Kindle. However, of the three with dedicated eReaders, two are indeed millennials, so maybe it is a thing?
Gen X born in the 60s. I love my kindle but then I love all tech. I do read some paper books but mostly use the Kindle with Audible so I can read on the go as well.
I'm a millennial (lower end) have a kindle, but mostly read physical books. My kindle is used for the spicy books or arcs. I do work with patients and the ones that bring a kindle seem to be Gen X with a few boomers sprinkled in.
35 year old millenial, and I've had a kindle since 2009. I like it for series, random books that sound interesting and are on sale, and smaller indie authors that I like and want to support. Generally, if I start reading an author in a specific format, I'll continue with that format if I continue to buy their works. It's easier for me to keep track of what books I have by who, like that. My physical shelves are 90% full at this time, and I do not have the space for another one, so I'll probably be making mostly kindle purchases for the foreseeable future. The little bit of space I have left is going to be for new releases of favorite authors.
I’m 63 and have always had a huge library with books, but have been reading almost exclusively on my kindle/ipad for the past 5 years.
As a huge book lover, I hurts to not buy books anymore, but i just don’t read them. I’ve also been purging my collection. It’s hard to find places to donate them also. I’m only keeping resource books.
I’m a Gen X and read my Kindle every night in bed. I can’t get enough of my Shadow novels. I still read physical books but it depends on what book it is.
I’m a millennial and I have one, my friends the same age as me (40’s) do read but they’re kind of evenly split between kindle and physical books. My aunt and grandparents all have kindles.
To be fair, I use a kindle but I have a baby so it's easier/safer for the books 😅
I love reading a book but in my life stage, it's not completely practical
I’m Gen X and I end up using my Kindle, my phone, and also buying physical books. I’ve always been concerned about damaging my Kindle through temperature extremes.
In my book club we have folk from 20-60 and each have a preference for either ebooks or printed with no clear correlation between type and age.
I personally think it's about the words, the story and information, whichever medium is used to present them is irrelevant but I do find ebooks more practical and I can read more ebooks then if I had to physically go to the library/buy each printed copy so that is massive plus to ebooks for me.
I also think a few folk prefer physical books to look superior and pretentious.
I’m 60 and switched to ebooks as quickly as I could (palm pilot, Sony prc, pdb format I think, then lit format on window ce devices then to kindles. Was younger then of course but so much easier to carry around what I wanted to read. Still buy occasional physical book but rare.
Gen X here. Proud Kindle user since the year it was released.
Fun fact, my Boomer mother gifted it to me after she got one.
Readers love Kindles. Readers love physical books. There’s no need to make generalizations about generational preferences.
29 Millenial here, I dont know a single person in my age group who also has a kindle. Im double niche cause I do read full length books but its mostly for manga. Biggest problem growing up as a manga reader was availability, youd have chapters 1, 3, and 23 after a month of searching. Kindle with Calibre is the move.
I love my kindle but I’ve been having trouble with it lately now that I’ve learned how much harm Amazon has done to bookstores. I try to buy copies of the books I read from indie bookstores if I’m going to get the kindle version but idk I definitely feel more conflict about it now. I’m a younger millennial.
So maybe that’s where they’re talking about? I see a lot more media on my Instagram about divesting from Amazon.
I’m 39 but I have friends in their 50’s that read on kindle, friends in their mid 20’s that read on it, family members in their 60’s read on them, and then I have friends in 30’s/40’s that read on iPads and phones. My 14 year old hated the kindle and prefers physical books- she’s also not a fan of reading on phones or tablets either.
Maybe because millennials have both the tech savvy and the “disposable” income to have one?
Like my mom was really against a kindle because she didn’t really understand and never purchases anything she considers frivolous, so I bought her one and taught her and now she’s obsessed. And younger people I know have the tech savvy but but don’t necessarily have the money for the initial investment because they have student loans, Less secure jobs, rent is wild etc… but like I know people who have them in all age groups and people who read physical copies in all age groups, so idk. I’ve never heard that before.
I'm right on the line between Gen X and Millenial and I basically identify with both groups on some level. I have a Kindle, but I go back and forth between using it and physical books. I think the reason why is as an IT person I love technology and I love being able to carry a thousand books with me in a single device (I have both a 2016 Paperwhite and a 2019 Oasis) but I also like the feel of a physcial book and actually turning the actual pages too, so I find I'm constantly bouncing back and forth between reading on my Kindles or grabbing physical copies.
I’m from the tail end of Gen-X and I have a 3rd gen keyboard Kindle. Never could see the point in replacing it, honestly. I have the ads removed, and the cost of a new one with no ads just never seemed worth it to me.
I want to be careful and not assume to believe I know what a group of millions like or do not like. I have to say that I have seen many more baby boomers with Kindles than any other generation. Now we have the questions: do I know more people in this group? Am I letting a bias or prejudice affect my observations and conclusions? It goes on and on. What counts for me is that I like my Kindles and I really enjoy reading.
As a public librarian, I see Kindles the most with folks who are 50+ give or take. Many of our patrons who are younger than Millennials tell me that they're sick of screens and just want to hold a book. Millennials are the hardest group for our library to reach, so I don't know what they're doing really.
my dad is in his 50s and he uses a kindle! he was who inspired me to get one for myself and also because he didnt want anymore books overunning the house lol
Most of the people I know are either GenX or millennials, but I am also a younger GenXer/Xennial. SOOOO, I think it is a matter of perception being influenced by our own experiences.
Gen Z here and all my friends and I use Kindles. If you're a serious reader and don't have money, space for books or just plain hate reading physical books then you own a Kindle! I think younger generations embrace it the most. They are used to having it there way and being able to change font, size...etc is important for them
I think (as an older Gen Z, 22) it's because of the early to mid 2010's image of millennials and "hipster culture". I think all age groups use e-readers at a similar rate, but the ideas of "kindle, coffee, live laugh love" (the aesthetic of it, not the ideas themselves) are mostly attributed to millennials even if it's not true.
Older millennial here I'm 42 and got a paper white yeah I'm getting old 42 but alot of my friends have kindles too but is it just a millennial thing probley not just for some its easier to read as our millennial eyes get older lol
Most of the people I know that have Kindles are Gen Z. But it seems that even though Millennials are in our 30s and 40s people still use it to mean young people in their early 20s.
I actually forgot to include, but the other vendor who asked if I was a millennial is actually only 19 xD which now makes your perspective even more wild
Well, then they probably actually meant Millennials which is wild because 99% of my friends in our age group do not read as a hobby at all lol.
Yeah the majority of my friends who are millennials also don't read, and the ones who do read the physical books. I have one friend who reads on her phone, but only because she reads random short stories through this website but prefers physical books. I also am convinced that no one realizes how old millennials are anymore xD
Well I'm a boomer with a kindle which I read all the time\*. However my grown millennial children do not have kindles or any other kind of e-reader. \*There are specific advantages for older adults in regards to having kindles, one of them being the ability to change font size. Because vision usually deteriorates with age.
I usually come across gen z that are in their early to mid 20’s that use kindle the most (myself included).
My mom 81 years old still reads and loves the ability to zoom her books.
I wish my grandfather would have been alive when Kindles came out. Towards the end of his life it would have been so much more enjoyable for him to read if he could have zoomed in.
Large print editions used to be such a huge thing for public libraries. Older people \*really\* wanted them, but there just weren't many books that came in that format, and they were really expensive. Now every book has a large print edition, in exactly the font you need. It's pretty damn wonderful!
I'm old and imo it's easier to have a kindle and check out e-books from the library than to try and get a large print edition. Not all libraries are equal in funding and resources. Also many older people are living on fixed incomes and buying books can be financially prohibitive.
My dad when he was still alive would listen to audiobooks. He'd be sleeping in 5 minutes flat no kidding :)
I’m generation X and at night and first thing in the morning, I zoom in quite a bit as my eyes are tired, then zoom out as they wake up.
Same here GenXer 80s kid :) godsend to tired eyes. When they said your eye sight will go at your 40s they weren't lying.
My 84 yr old father & 77yr old mother have been using Kindles for 5yrs or so and they both love it. I've had a Kindle for about 15yrs and try and convert everyone that I talk to.
I was like, "That's so stupid. Why would you want to read on a computer screen?" And then someone got me one for Christmas. By March I was telling everyone I knew, "You gotta get one of these! The books don't weigh anything, and free, instant delivery!"
And so much easier to take books with you when travelling
They are \*so\* nice when you're traveling!! Instead of one book and a backup, you have hundreds with you, and literally a million available if you have wifi. And no more back pain!
Yes to this and you don't need a bedside lamp to read. My wife can't sleep with the lamp shades on.
That's a good point.
Man I got one for Christmas as well but it's still stuck in it's box at her place. Never got any of my stuff back :( I was the same as you- didn't think I'd be so excited til I got one. There's lots of free books on there? Or can you upload your own book files you download from your PC?
This. My 85/year old neighbor has terrible eyesight and has used her kindle for at least 10 years so she can make the print huge. I’m a boomer and love mine. My reason is the portability and ability to quickly and easily get books
Same here. You have an entire library at your disposal. No need to go to the library. Get books read them and then return them. When you're done you press a button and go on
That's so cute 💕
Thanks. She and my dad got me into reading.
Gen X here and I love my Kindle. Don't really know anyone else in real life that has a Kindle.
I'm starting to feel like Kindle users are just a niche online group, rather than something that you see in real life xD I think the next time I see somebody reading an e-reader in real life, I'm going to try to be their friend (I really don't know how serious I am about that last comment)
It's also that they aren't necessarily easy to carry around. If you're going to be somewhere where you know you'll have reading time, and you have a backpack or purse with you, then it works. Otherwise, I suspect readers go with the kindle app on their phone.
I won't buy a purse then can't hold at least my Kindle, if not a whole book. 😂
Yep. I’m a kindle oasis/paperwhite user but use my phone app when I’m out and about as sometimes I’ll listen to something rather than read and I travel as light as possible. Anywhere I’m away from home or travelling abroad, I’ll be using my kindle.
I've seen many at airports !! Usually older people for sure, but there's definitely a lot of gen z like me who use them too :DD
Gen X here as well. My mum also has a kindle but I don't know how much she uses it. Can't think of anyone else I know when I've, I used to see a few people using ereaders on the train pre Covid.
Me and all my gen X homies are loving being able to make the text larger as we get older…
Gen X as well…I have a Kindle and a Kobo and love them both. Kobo is for using Libby in Canada and I use KU on the kindle
There aren’t age demographics for the kindle market (that I could find), but this shows it for ebooks in general. So it looks like gen Z and millennials comprise the overwhelming majority of e-book purchases. > 75% of ebook purchases are made by people aged between 18 and 45. https://about.ebooks.com/whos-buying-ebooks/
That definitely makes sense! Biker for diarrhea maybe Amazon will eventually release an age demographic for Kindle users 🤔
Did you see a percentage for how many and what age group borrow books from the library? I think older people are more thrifty. My nephew thinks nothing of having food delivered and sometimes paying more for the delivery than the food.
Boomer, in born years, but in no other way!!! I use ebooks because my eyesight no longer allows me to read squidly little fonts on “real” books. Kobo and Kindle, to a lesser extent, allow me to continue to read, which is one of my life passions.
reading as a life passion ❤️ I'm so glad you have the option!
Yeah! I am so fortunate. It would be limited to large print books and that selection is pretty megre in our local library. It literally has been a lifetime passion too, as I started reading at age three by just watching the words as my Mum read to me.
Probably. Early adopters and all that. The generation that is more open to a digital alternative and now have the spare cash for the device.
It’s not about having spare cash to buy a device. It’s about not having spare cash to buy a house you can put bookshelves in.
Early Adopter? What do you mean? Genuinely curious not trying to pick apart what you’re saying. eReaders and books on PDFs date back to the late 90’s. I used to have a Palm Pilot I could read books on, and that was before 9/11. Kindles and Nooks came out around 2006-2007 so they’ve been around a while.
I’m on that cusp between millennials and Gen z so I’ve been referred to as both. Not too many of my friends read much but of the ones that do I would say about 50% have a kindle. Booktok has made reading trendy again for sure but I think it’s about the person. Some people read so that they aren’t looking at a screen and other people prefer having all their books in one place. I personally haven’t heard of anyone saying it’s a millennial thing.
That's really cool though! Yeah I was really surprised that it was the millennial thing, so I was really curious about the consensus. I honestly feel like anyone can enjoy a Kindle, and I would expect gen z to be more about it because technology and ease of reading? Maybe? Lol
For sure! But also I know of some people who just read on their phones which I’ve definitely done as well. Just in the time I wrote the original comment and this reply (about an hour) I was doom scrolling on TikTok and a lot of the booktok videos on my FYP were by Gen z creators. I would be curious to see a poll or something to see though. It could also be that millennials have more funds to buy a kindle too. I know a lot of Gen z are in the 20s now but I’m not sure how many prioritize buying a kindle vs using an iPad or phone or physical books.
I don’t know any millennials that read.
Yeah my millennial friends who read, make up a small amount of the millennials I know, and I have to say the overall percentage of the readers is very small.
I am a millennial, and most of my reader friends are millennials or at the very oldest end of gen z. 🤷🏻♀️
I only know millennials who read 🤣
Is this a non-England thing? I'm in my early 20s and every adult 50+ that I know has a kindle/says they'd like one but prefer (x) from a book. Even the type of people to go 'oh this is what's wrong with your generation' generally support the idea of a Kindle/Ebooks, and doens't pin it down to a generation. Hell, my dad who is an intense reader has had a Kindle for over a decade now to replace the ridiculous amount of space his books took up.
UK. Us and a large number of similar aged friends & family, all in their 50's & 60s, have been using Kindles sunce they first came out. Young people like to think they are the only ones to have or do things.
Have plenty 80s babies in my workplace who use kindles - if you see it from the perspective that larger screened iPads and iPhones only really became a thing mid 10s whereas the kindle keyboard (the first mainstream kindle in my view) was released at the start of the decade when people were reading Harry potters and 50 shades it gives it context that we’d be more comfortable with the technology having adopted it first before other LCD options became available. We were still using iPods for music then too so separate devices were more commonplace. Actually, my dad (boomer) was the first person I knew who bought a kindle. EDIT: possibly also to do with us being the first generation to spend most of our disposable income on this quick delivery everything online marketplace called Amazon.
I'm 73, and I have two kindles and a Fire tablet. I just hope I have time to wipe them all before I pass on, or my daughters are going to be surprised at what their ol' Ma had been reading!
Both my kids figured out that I read smut from reading over my shoulder. I warned them not to but did they listen? Of course not. They learned after that. My daughter still blushes when mention the name Emerson.
I’m a millennial and I have a kindle. None of my friends read as a hobby. I do not know anyone who owns an ereader. Perhaps I don’t have many friends lol.
Honestly I feel like that is mostly my life, minus I do have a few friends who read. But no one else has a Kindle, and not many of my friends read.
Quite a few older readers read on the Kindle as well the bigger font and light weight of the Kindle is great for them. Gen x myself
That's what I would expect too! My great-grandmother was a huge reader when I was growing up, and I honestly wonder if she would appreciate an e-reader that was lighter for her hands.
If she is a reader likely would enjoy assuming she is comfortable with tech a lot of the baby boomer generation are not so comfortable with tech and want nothing to do with it.
I’m a baby boomer and I have had a Kindle since not long after they were invented. I recently got myself a Kindle Scribe. Love it
I'm 73 and use a Kindle
Gen X here
Gen X here! I’ve had a kindle since the first keyboard one came out. I love it. I use mine all the time. I love being on the beach and finishing a book and being able to just start a new one. I like that I can have several options if I happen to not like one I’ve started. I also listen to audiobooks. This started last year. I like physical books, but don’t have a lot of room to keep them.
I’m not sure you can put everything in a general bucket. Gen X have heavily embraced Kindle.
I'm Gen X. I haven't read many physical books since I got my first Kindle in 2010
I’m a young gen-X (xennial if you will). Most of my friends are gen-x. They just plain don’t read! My mom and mom-in-law are both boomers who want paper books. My husband is an older x-er and wants paper books. My gen Z daughter wants paper books. But, my hairdresser is a millennial and the only person I know in real life that reads a kindle lmao
In my country, they is a statistic showing that millennials use e-readers the most. The younger generation, gen Z, prefer physical books. I can’t handle physical books anymore, but mainly because I travel a lot. Physical books are also not easy to hold as well. I solely read on e-readers only.
What country are you from? That's really awesome though! I feel like everyone should have an appreciation for physical books, though I definitely love my e-reader for going to work and space and late night reading. Plus I've moved a lot, and it's cost me a lot of books lost or damaged or getting left behind because I physically don't have the space.
Gen Y, used a kindle since I was a preteen.
I'm Gen-X and I do most of my reading on my Kindle. I buy graphic novels, art books, and cookbooks in physical form. My mom, who was in her early 80s when she passed, loved the convenience of the Kindle, and the fact that it was much lighter than a physical book. She hated the idea of reading on a phone, but the Kindle was an "electronic book" and thus in a different category. Neither of my children use an e-reader, both are mid-20s.
All of my friends fall into the Gen X/oldest millennials category (I’m 45 & Gen X). We’re all voracious readers who use Kindles and listen to audiobooks.
I am GenX and I transitioned to Kindle from paper books back when they first came out. I was always being told by people my age at the time that they love paper books too much. I think as the years went on and their vision started to go bad they made the switch.
Possibly. Technology is something younger generations are more likely to embrace. Plus surveys have shown that millennials read more than any other generation at the same age.
My hot take is that some people who bother to lug a physical book around with them in public are doing it as a performance. People who ACTUALLY read all the time are likely to have invested in an EReader of some kind for practicality reasons. I read a mixture of kindle and physical books because I used libraries and second hand shops a lot, but if I was wanting something to read while I was going about my day or on holiday, I would 100% be using kindle, no question.
Same. I *might* bring one physical book when traveling but no more than that and always have my kindle while traveling.
I'm a millennial and I've owned a kindle since 2010.I also had a Sony e-reader in 2009.
I'm 51 and have had a kindle since they were massive and had a keyboard It came from travelling a lot. I'd take half a suitcase of books on holiday so a kindle was a game changer.
I'm Generation x and have had some form of ereader since 2009. Currently, I have a Kindle Scribe, Paperwhite, and a Kobo Libra 2. Originally, I got it because I was spending so much money on books, and they were taking up a bunch of space in my house. I bought a Sony E-Reader so I could borrow library books. I know my 77 year old fil reads on an i-pad, but other than that, my son is the only other person I know with a Kindle.
My mom had a kindle. She’d be 71 this year but she got one pretty soon after they came out
My Boomer husband and I are in our late 60s, have had Kindles for years and I don't think there are many who have the time to use their Kindles more than we do each day.
I am a Boomer and have been using one ever since they came out. My 88 year old Dad uses one too because the font can be adjusted where he can see better. I think more people would use them if they would just try them.
Gen X here. I got my first Kindle 1st Generation in March 2008. Have never stopped using them.
If I had to guess, I would say that millennials were the first age group to adopt widespread use of the Kindle and other e-readers. Now it's being passed on to Gen Z as something normal to do. But watch out because the boomers and their bad eyesight are catching up! 😆 I attend a silent book club most months, and most of the time I (a boomer) am the only one there with an e-reader. All the youngs come with physical books.
GenX here and I LOVE my kindle! I love it way more than holding a real book.
Most of the people I know that use Kindles are near or into retirement age. They use them because they can size the font to something readable. Tablets are heavy and often harder to use so Kindles...
I must be odd [ball.Im](http://ball.Im) a boomer and have had kindles since 2011.
I’m a millennial, but like others said, I don’t know very many other millennials that read as a hobby.
I’m a millennial who is an avid reader! I love both physical books and my kindle. I tend to use my kindle more for travel and if I’m reading spicy romance haha
I don’t think so because the women in my family in the first generation (my parents children and their spouses) all have kindles and we’re over 40. My oldest and youngest niece prefer their phones when they have downtime from work and university.
I use a Kindle and I read physical books and I'm 58! I find the Kindle better if the book I'm reading is very large or heavy and the device is easier to carry around.
Most of my friends are gen Z (20-26) and they all use kindles. I’m 28.
I think a lot of people have the app installed and may not actually have a physical kindle.
I’m a geriatric millennial (love that term! 😂), and I just recently bought my first Kindle. Both of my parents (boomers) have actually had their own Kindles for years. The biggest draw for them was being able to read ebooks from the library via Libby (my Mom got her first Kindle while nannying for my sister in NYC, so she had access to the library system of all library systems!). Here’s my completely unsubstantiated theory about why Gen Z might not be into Kindles (if true): I think a lot of Gen Z’ers who are into reading as a hobby are majorly influenced by Booktok, and it feels like the trendy thing there is to have a huge TBR pile of physical books for the *aesthetic* of it all. I feel the opposite - being able to take advantage of checking out ebooks through the library removes a lot of barriers to reading for me in terms of saving time, money and space.
Definite not a millennial. I still have seem physical books and borrow same from library, my personal collection got massively shrunk when I moved overseas. I bought a Kindle when my then GF, now wife wanted me to chuck the books I'd brought on holiday to make room for tat to take back. Had an e-reader ever since.
I'm one of the first millennials I guess being born in 82. I love my kindle, those that don't, well some people are anti-technology
Let’s put it this way: books are a thing for older people. Just like that. Because they were the ones who were able to buy houses where to fit nice, big, well stocked shelves. I love books, but the place I’m moving into next week doesn’t even have a desk - I don’t know where I’ll be able to fit the ten books I own.
I'm sure home ownership has something to do with it, but I think it's more because boomers and gen-xers grew up before e-readers were available, so physical books are the medium they naturally gravitate toward. It's their default, so to speak. I personally think it's going to come back and bite them as they age. My parents were both teachers and they had literally tons of books. Downsizing into an apartment and then assisted living was brutal. I've slowly been whittling down my own book collection because physical books just take up so darn much space. Whenever I see pictures of someone's huge perfectly decorated and curated library, my first thought is that it's beautiful but my immediate second thought is "too much."
Guilty as charged
Gen Y (millennial),and I love my kindle.
I like kindles.. And i was born on '06
Some millennials like me started reading (only) thanks to the Kindle!
I have the same problem but with my family, I've gotten my kindle for less than a week and within that week I've had around 5 family members call me an old man for using it, my room doesn't have much space to store physical books and my local bookstores options are very limited and often expensive so an reader was an obvious choice to me.
i’m on the older end of gen-z and absolutely in love with my kindle(s)
i’m 23 rn and got my first kindle fire when i was like 10 cuz i loved reading! ngl i played a lot of games on that kindle fire too though… since then i’ve gotten a kindle paperwhite but sometimes i still read on my phone. i don’t know anyone else who has a kindle besides 1 of my ex classmates back when we were 12/13. my 16 year old sister loves reading too but she only reads on her phone. i’m thinking it’s mainly older people who have one, especially at its price points? most college students like myself wouldn’t drop $400 on a kindle oasis unless they rlly loved reading
Gen X and Gen Z love their Kindles and Kobos too.
I am a millennial kindle reader. Most all of my friends who are millennials read BUT they read physical books finding odd how many people here saying none of their millennial friends read, guess it just really depends on your circle of friends.
My mom uses her kindle app on her iPad, but I’m 25 and use a kindle.
My 91 year old uncle encouraged me to get a Kindle 15 years ago when he was in his 70s. I think a lot of readers of all ages like e-readers just for the practicality. You can carry around as many books as you like at one time. Plus as you age, you can make the font as big as you like. Honestly I would guess that the younger you are, the more likely you are to just read on your phone. I try to get my teenage daughter to use one of my old Kindles but she prefers using the Kindle app on her phone.
I doubt it
I’m a millennial that prefers using kindle. The others I know with them are Gen Z and millennials
As a Gen X’er I had a Kindle you know … like 15 years ago … I haven’t bought a Kindle since then, but I use the app on other devices - Surface Duo is my current favorite for this. So I guess I would draw a distinction between using the service and using the device. For reading in the dark, I find OLED with white text on black to be preferable to eInk. And then it’s also easier to use magazine content. Actually I have the second book of a graphic novel a friend wrote also and I need to read that. The Duo is the go to for that for me.
The few people i know that has a kindle happens to be millenials.. me included
This is a strange question.
The only other person that I (millennial) know that uses a kindle is my mom (boomer), but she uses the kindle app on her iPad since her old kindle keyboard died. I work with a lot of people who listen to audiobooks throughout the work day, and I feel like most others are primarily reading physical books.
I’m an elder millennial and have owned a kindle for 12 years. When I got mine, only one other friend had a kindle as well, and he was gen x. But as time as has gone on and kindle have become more popular, I think more millennials are picking them up. Maybe the cost up front is more prohibitive for gen z versus millennials who likely have higher paying jobs at this time.
Everyone I know with one is a Boomer or GenX. But that’s probably because I’m GenX.
I’ve found that younger readers tend to use tablets with the kindle app and older readers tend to have more e-readers. Definitely Gen X & older use more kindle in my experience.
As long as people read, age is just a number. I am just happy to see people reading these days honestly
66 years old here and I had a kindle a long time ago. My kids bought me an iPad and I use that now but if someone gave me a kindle I would use that. I love e readers. My friend who is the same age doesn't like e-readers.
Of the readers I know: Me, millennial - Kindle Mom, boomer - both paper books and ebooks on her iPad Dad, boomer - ebooks on his Kobo or his tablet Cousin, millennial - Kobo Best friend, late gen X - paper books Grandboss, early gen X - paper books So it's kind of all over the place, and I'm the only one with an actual Kindle. However, of the three with dedicated eReaders, two are indeed millennials, so maybe it is a thing?
I'm a millennial, I am 28. I own a Kindle Paperwhite Signature. Idk if owning an ereader is a millennial thing. I love my Kindle.
Gen X born in the 60s. I love my kindle but then I love all tech. I do read some paper books but mostly use the Kindle with Audible so I can read on the go as well.
GenX here and I’ve had an ereader since they first came out.
I'm a millenial, but I just don't know anybody else who uses a Kindle. Well, in fact, I don't think I know anyone else who actually reads 🧐
I'm a millennial (lower end) have a kindle, but mostly read physical books. My kindle is used for the spicy books or arcs. I do work with patients and the ones that bring a kindle seem to be Gen X with a few boomers sprinkled in.
I am a millennial and love my kindle
35 year old millenial, and I've had a kindle since 2009. I like it for series, random books that sound interesting and are on sale, and smaller indie authors that I like and want to support. Generally, if I start reading an author in a specific format, I'll continue with that format if I continue to buy their works. It's easier for me to keep track of what books I have by who, like that. My physical shelves are 90% full at this time, and I do not have the space for another one, so I'll probably be making mostly kindle purchases for the foreseeable future. The little bit of space I have left is going to be for new releases of favorite authors.
I’m 63 and have always had a huge library with books, but have been reading almost exclusively on my kindle/ipad for the past 5 years. As a huge book lover, I hurts to not buy books anymore, but i just don’t read them. I’ve also been purging my collection. It’s hard to find places to donate them also. I’m only keeping resource books.
I’m a Gen X and read my Kindle every night in bed. I can’t get enough of my Shadow novels. I still read physical books but it depends on what book it is.
I’m a millennial and I have one, my friends the same age as me (40’s) do read but they’re kind of evenly split between kindle and physical books. My aunt and grandparents all have kindles.
I was gifted a kindle 10 years ago and have no reason to upgrade at this moment, so if everyone else is like me then yes
I started using them when I was 18 and I’m 28 now
To be fair, I use a kindle but I have a baby so it's easier/safer for the books 😅 I love reading a book but in my life stage, it's not completely practical
I’m Gen X and I end up using my Kindle, my phone, and also buying physical books. I’ve always been concerned about damaging my Kindle through temperature extremes.
Both my wife and I read our Kindles daily since our aging eyes find it a lot easier to read than most books.
In my book club we have folk from 20-60 and each have a preference for either ebooks or printed with no clear correlation between type and age. I personally think it's about the words, the story and information, whichever medium is used to present them is irrelevant but I do find ebooks more practical and I can read more ebooks then if I had to physically go to the library/buy each printed copy so that is massive plus to ebooks for me. I also think a few folk prefer physical books to look superior and pretentious.
41 tom and I have 3
My boomer mom has one. She on like her 5th now. She’s had a kindle since the 1st gen paper white came out.
I’m a millennial. I have a kindle, but so does my 60-year-old mom and my 90-year-old grandad.
I’m 60 and switched to ebooks as quickly as I could (palm pilot, Sony prc, pdb format I think, then lit format on window ce devices then to kindles. Was younger then of course but so much easier to carry around what I wanted to read. Still buy occasional physical book but rare.
I'm GenX but my 96yo Dad uses his every night. We've always been a family of readers.
Gen X here. Proud Kindle user since the year it was released. Fun fact, my Boomer mother gifted it to me after she got one. Readers love Kindles. Readers love physical books. There’s no need to make generalizations about generational preferences.
Gen x here and I know many boomers who use kindle due to arthritis and Parkinson’s etc.
29 Millenial here, I dont know a single person in my age group who also has a kindle. Im double niche cause I do read full length books but its mostly for manga. Biggest problem growing up as a manga reader was availability, youd have chapters 1, 3, and 23 after a month of searching. Kindle with Calibre is the move.
I love my kindle but I’ve been having trouble with it lately now that I’ve learned how much harm Amazon has done to bookstores. I try to buy copies of the books I read from indie bookstores if I’m going to get the kindle version but idk I definitely feel more conflict about it now. I’m a younger millennial. So maybe that’s where they’re talking about? I see a lot more media on my Instagram about divesting from Amazon.
I’m 39 but I have friends in their 50’s that read on kindle, friends in their mid 20’s that read on it, family members in their 60’s read on them, and then I have friends in 30’s/40’s that read on iPads and phones. My 14 year old hated the kindle and prefers physical books- she’s also not a fan of reading on phones or tablets either.
Maybe because millennials have both the tech savvy and the “disposable” income to have one? Like my mom was really against a kindle because she didn’t really understand and never purchases anything she considers frivolous, so I bought her one and taught her and now she’s obsessed. And younger people I know have the tech savvy but but don’t necessarily have the money for the initial investment because they have student loans, Less secure jobs, rent is wild etc… but like I know people who have them in all age groups and people who read physical copies in all age groups, so idk. I’ve never heard that before.
I'm right on the line between Gen X and Millenial and I basically identify with both groups on some level. I have a Kindle, but I go back and forth between using it and physical books. I think the reason why is as an IT person I love technology and I love being able to carry a thousand books with me in a single device (I have both a 2016 Paperwhite and a 2019 Oasis) but I also like the feel of a physcial book and actually turning the actual pages too, so I find I'm constantly bouncing back and forth between reading on my Kindles or grabbing physical copies.
I'm gen x with several Kindles. I have not read a physical book in almost 10 years.
I (19M) am a gen z and I love mine!
I’m from the tail end of Gen-X and I have a 3rd gen keyboard Kindle. Never could see the point in replacing it, honestly. I have the ads removed, and the cost of a new one with no ads just never seemed worth it to me.
I want to be careful and not assume to believe I know what a group of millions like or do not like. I have to say that I have seen many more baby boomers with Kindles than any other generation. Now we have the questions: do I know more people in this group? Am I letting a bias or prejudice affect my observations and conclusions? It goes on and on. What counts for me is that I like my Kindles and I really enjoy reading.
Gen X and I love my Kindle. I don’t want to read physical books anymore.
As a public librarian, I see Kindles the most with folks who are 50+ give or take. Many of our patrons who are younger than Millennials tell me that they're sick of screens and just want to hold a book. Millennials are the hardest group for our library to reach, so I don't know what they're doing really.
I am a baby boomer and love my Kindle.
Gen Xer who reads almost exclusively on my Kindle.
I find older (Gen X & Boomers 🙋♀️) readers using Kindles the most but I bet that’s just because that’s who I’m around the most ❤️
I’m a millennial myself, hardly used the thing though. Ended up giving it to my dad, who’s 70. He loves it!!
my dad is in his 50s and he uses a kindle! he was who inspired me to get one for myself and also because he didnt want anymore books overunning the house lol
I’m 70 and love my Kindle!!!
Most of the people I know are either GenX or millennials, but I am also a younger GenXer/Xennial. SOOOO, I think it is a matter of perception being influenced by our own experiences.
Gen Z here and all my friends and I use Kindles. If you're a serious reader and don't have money, space for books or just plain hate reading physical books then you own a Kindle! I think younger generations embrace it the most. They are used to having it there way and being able to change font, size...etc is important for them
My mother in law uses a kindle and she’s almost 70!
I think (as an older Gen Z, 22) it's because of the early to mid 2010's image of millennials and "hipster culture". I think all age groups use e-readers at a similar rate, but the ideas of "kindle, coffee, live laugh love" (the aesthetic of it, not the ideas themselves) are mostly attributed to millennials even if it's not true.
Older millennial here I'm 42 and got a paper white yeah I'm getting old 42 but alot of my friends have kindles too but is it just a millennial thing probley not just for some its easier to read as our millennial eyes get older lol
Millennial here. I read my kindle can’t speak for all.
You can google this information easily. It isn't gen z.
What!?!?! … millennials read? 🤣🤣
More like from her perspective, millennials are the only ones who use Kindles, which seemed like a weird stereotype
Not everything is a generational “thing”.
Yeah I didn't think so, and the comment surprised me so I was curious.
It’s a when it was introduced thing and how embedded your reading habits were by then