1. To a certain extent, e-books have become popular amongst American bookworms 20 percent of book readers in the U.S. stated they read more e-books than hard copy books, and 23 percent read about the same number of hard copy books and e-books, demonstrating an open attitude among readers to exploring the many benefits e-books can offer the reader. In 2018, about 26 percent of American book consumers stated they had read an e-book in the last year, however print books were still arguably the more popular format among U.S. readers.

   2. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the clout that Millennial consumers have on the digital media industry, is a noticeably higher level of e-book consumption among younger consumers than older generations. In 2018, 34 percent of 18 to 29-year olds said that they had read at least one e-book in the last twelve months, a figure which decreased with age and stood at just 15 percent among those aged 65 or above.

3. In terms of what consumers like to read, the most popular genre among e-book readers was literature and fiction, with romance coming in second, and according to data gathered in 2017, tablets were still the most favorable device for reading e-books, with seven percent more consumers using tablets than e-readers. In fact, 31 percent of consumers said that they had never used an e-reading device, perhaps an indication of devices such as Kindles still being viewed as somewhat of a luxury item. Indeed, ownership of e-readers varies according to income, with more consumers on a higher salary owning items like Kindles than those earning less.

4. This is even supported by figures on individual e-book purchases: even amongst young adults that are 18-29 years of age, a mere ten percent stated that had bought up to ten e-books in the past 12 months, while 34 percent had not bought a single e-book. If buying behaviour is inconsistent among the generation with which e-books are most, the possibility that the older generations will be able to make up for the gap in the revenues is slight.

5. As to what consumers prefer to read, literature and fiction was the most popular genre among e-book readers, while romance came next. Moreover, in line with data that was gathered in 2017, The most favourable devices for reading e-books were still tablets, as seven percent more consumers were using tablets than e-readers.
6. The unfortunate reality is, that despite e-readers qualifying as a 'long-term' purchase, for consumers on a lower income the initial investment of such a device is often simply too much. As Netflix and other streaming services grapple with the untapped revenue potential of viewers who share accounts with friends, family or even ex partners and do not pay for their own subscriptions, the e-books industry is suffering as a result of illegal access and downloads. Data from 2017 shows that over 31.5 million books were illegally downloaded in the United States that year, resulting in a total sales loss over 315 million.

7. Younger consumers appear to be the culprits, with the most recent data revealing that 41 percent of illegal book downloaders in the U.S. were aged 18 to 29 years old, and 47 percent were between 30 and 44 years of age. Perhaps unsurprisingly, when asked about reasons for illegally downloading e-books from torrent sites, 51 percent of respondents said that the reason they accessed books in this way was because doing so was free or cheap.

8. Price is a clear factor affecting e-book consumption, with 52 percent of U.S. adults surveyed in 2017 saying that they purchased e-books (or bought more e-books in general) due to cheaper prices, with noticeably fewer respondents citing variety, ease of access or multiple payment options as a reason to buy. The figures on individual e-book purchases support this: even among adults aged between 18 and 29, just ten percent said that they had purchased up to ten e-books in the past year, and 34 percent had not purchased an e-book at all. If buying behavior among the generation with which e-books are most popular is patchy at best, the chances that older generations will make up the gap in revenue look slim

Instruction: Present these findings in table form