Mobile reading, a trend among Chinese internet users

The report shows that more than 70% of internet users read on their phone for one to three hours every day. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beijing Normal University released its Chinese Digital Reading Report at the Culture and Internet Communication Summit Forum held Saturday in Beijing, indicating that profound changes are taking place in the reading habits of Chinese internet users.

The report shows that more than 70% of internet users read on their phone for one to three hours every day. People who use a Kindle or other digital readers tend to read longer, and most of them read more than three hours a day.

Moreover, 51.8% of the digital articles that people read are shared by WeChat, 30 percent higher than using the browser, ranking in first place. The report also points out that news apps are more attractive to men while social apps, such as WeChat and literary websites, are more popular among women.

When asked about the future of reading, 62.7% of interviewees believe that digital reading will replace paper-based reading, while the rate is up to 82.9% among interviewees under age of 20.