Two Sides survey shows print still packs a punch in a digital world

An international survey of over 10,700 people shows that consumers trust and gain a deeper understanding of information read in print than in digital format, and flags up signs of digital fatigue in relation to advertising.

The survey, commissioned by Two Sides and carried out in June by research company Toluna, was undertaken in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the UK and US. 72% of global respondents said they prefer printed books, compared to only 9% preferring e-books. Not only is there a global preference for print, there is also greater trust in print. 76% of all respondents believe ‘fake news’ is a worrying trend and only 24% trust the news stories they read on social media. In addition, 63% of all respondents believe reading news in a printed newspaper provides a deep understanding of the story. The survey also revealed consumers have a negative perception of online advertising. 68% of global respondents said they don’t pay attention to online ads and 62% find them annoying and usually not relevant. 57% of global respondents do their best to block or avoid online ads. Concerns about security and privacy were also evident. 71% said they are concerned their personal information held electronically is at risk of being hacked, stolen, lost or damaged and 73% keep paper copies of important documents at home for safety. The report can be downloaded at: www.twosides.info/Survey2017