TL;DR? More like books FTW!

Survey reveals majority of US teens spent the summer reading. Actual books.

We live in an era with short forms and acronyms for everything, emojis to substitute a host of complex emotions, and countless additional forms of distraction built into a single, handheld device.

So, it’s not entirely crazy to fear the worst: That books and longform reading have been rendered obsolete for teens, a demographic born into a world where there is just so much competing for their attention at any given moment.

And yet, amidst these collectively growing fears and beliefs, a recent survey suggests otherwise.

According to the survey of more than 1,500 US teens aged 13-18, a whopping seventy percent said they read most during the summer. The summer! That time of anti- school when they don’t even have to read because nobody’s making them!

On top of this, the survey revealed that three-quarters of teens planned to read more than five books over the summer, with more than half committing upwards of two hours a day to reading. And when it comes to summer travel, eighty-seven percent confirmed that it’s important to have books that are accessible directly from a mobile phone.

Thirty-six percent of teens even admitted they’d cancel plans to finish a great story.

How many adults can say the same?

Books: 1Long-held perceptions about teens and reading: 0

When it comes to pop culture, three out of four said they’d prefer to read a book about their favorite celebrities over watching a video. This is especially interesting considering the widely held belief that best way to reach young people is through video.

This survey confirms that many teens are actively choosing to engage with content, rather than passively absorb it. This is huge, because it means teens still enjoy reading. And with longform content woven into their connected, mobile lifestyles, it’s more accessible than ever before.

But all this points to a greater truth, as well, one that most humans inherently know - that great stories will always be a part of who we are, regardless of the way they are consumed.