For the first time, computers were more important than books.
Young people change their habits.

The media revolution is releasing its offspring. The way young people currently shape their lives could be a model for the future. Today's 14- to 29-year-olds represent the first "Generation @," growing up with and using electronic media such as TV and CDs, mobile phones and PCs as a matter of course. The media's influence on their lifestyle is lasting. Fundamental changes in their habits are on the horizon: For the first time this year, young people are more enthusiastic about computers (471,000) than about books (431,000). Just five years ago, there were twice as many book readers (1996: 471,000) as PC users (231,000) among young people. This is according to the latest media analysis from the Leisure Research Institute of British American Tobacco, in which a representative sample of 2,000 people aged 14 and over in Germany were surveyed about their media habits.
The book is not dying, however. And a decline in reading culture is not to be feared for the time being. A comparison over the past few years shows that the percentage of young people who count reading books among their favorite everyday pastimes has remained stable (1990: 401,300 – 2000: 421,300 – 2001: 431,300). In addition, however, PC use is growing at almost exponential rates (1999: 291,300 – 2000: 341,300 – 2001: 471,300). Institute Director Prof. Dr. Horst W. Opaschowski explains: "The computer complements, but does not displace, the book. This development was foreseeable and is irreversible. The fascination with the new medium of the PC will continue to grow, but leafing through and reading a real book will not lose its appeal.""

Generation @: Constantly on edge!
More and more in the same amount of time

The competition among media for today's limited time is intensifying. For the younger generation seeking experiences, time is now just as important as money. Young people increasingly live by the motto "Do more in the same amount of time.".
Those aged 14 to 29 want to see, hear, and experience everything and not miss out on anything in life. They spend just as much time watching television as the rest of the population (961 TP3T each). In addition, and often simultaneously, they use other media in their free time: They watch significantly more videos (511 TP3T – total population: 281 TP3T) and also spend more time listening to CDs and music cassettes (721 TP3T – total population: 421 TP3T). And they even still find time for reading books (431 TP3T – total population: 431 TP3T).
Almost half of all young people use computers (471 TW – total population: 251 TW), and nearly a quarter enjoy video games (231 TW – total population: 81 TW). The development of new technologies and the spread of electronic media have made many leisure activities more attractive, but at the same time, they have also brought stress and hectic schedules to young people. The stressed-out Generation @ answers the question "What first?" or "How much of what?" with time management: More and more activities are crammed into the same amount of time, carried out quickly, and, above all, completed simultaneously.

The digital divide in Germany is widening.
High school students outpace secondary school students

Last year, the "Initiative 21," developed jointly by the German government and industry, issued a warning: "Germany is threatened by a digital divide." This digital divide is now a reality and is widening rapidly. The gap in internet usage between students in lower-track secondary schools and those in academic-track schools has never been greater. Those surveyed with a lower-track secondary school leaving certificate make almost no use of online services (41%), while the proportion of internet users with higher education is more than six times higher (25%). "The information elite is creating a new monopoly of knowledge, much like the priests in ancient Babylon or the monks in the Middle Ages through their monastic libraries. The old class-based society is reviving in the new two-tier society of the information age," says Professor Opaschowski. "Advance knowledge is the capital that creates new inequalities.""
The digital divide is primarily an educational problem and less a question of internet access or technical skills. Internet access cannot compensate for educational deficiencies, i.e., shortcomings in schooling and vocational training. Even if all schools are connected to the internet one day, the digital divide will largely persist unless general education in Germany—from basic cultural techniques to English proficiency—is simultaneously improved and essential life skills such as independence, imagination, the ability to make informed choices, and quick comprehension are practiced and more strongly promoted. In fact, the correct statement should be: It is not the internet that divides society, but rather the existing educational gap within the population.

The internet is becoming a lifeline.
More of an information exchange than a shopping marketplace

The virtual family doctor is no longer a utopia: Medical databases worldwide will be able to manage health more professionally in the future because medical histories, vaccination records, and allergies will be stored on computers. More than a third of the population (1999: 291,000 – 2001: 351,000) in Germany has a strong interest in receiving a "medical opinion" directly on their computer – for example, explanations of an X-ray or a blood test.
However, there is a significant educational and generational gap. Almost half of all university graduates (49%) trust the new information possibilities offered by telemedicine, while respondents with only a primary or secondary school leaving certificate have relatively little faith in it (26%). The younger generation, especially those aged 14 to 29, is increasingly embracing the "cyber-doc" concept (1999: 35% – 2001: 43%). The older generation, on the other hand, is less receptive to such a possibility: 83 percent of respondents over the age of 65 reject such medical advances and prefer to stick with the tried-and-tested method of visiting a doctor (1999: 83% – 2001: 83%). "Patient records from cradle to grave are possible," says Professor Opaschowski. "The doctor-patient relationship could fundamentally change in the future. Better-informed patients would then be able to participate more actively in the implementation of medical theoretical recommendations.""

Future prospects.
TV holds its own against the internet

The prediction by American computer scientists that "the internet will devour television" has not come true. Quite the contrary: As in the USA, in Germany, too, the desire for television (1996: 94% – 2001: 94%) has by no means diminished in the last five years since the worldwide spread of the internet. Among the younger generation of 14- to 29-year-olds, who are most fascinated by new media, TV viewing intensity has even increased (1996: 92% – 2001: 96%). The predicted media displacement competition of "PC instead of TV" is not taking place. For the new generation, the internet is like an additional media channel: Web content is added to the TV program. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for new media offerings to secure a permanent place in consumers' time, especially since lethargy, inertia, and convenience still dominate the after-work habits of citizens. Only 11 percent of Germans use the internet and online services at least once a week. The computer industry's hopes that the internet could become a mass medium like television are simply thwarted by the population's lifestyle habits. People change their habits slowly. Real behavioral changes will only come "with a new generation" (Bill Gates).

- Long version -

For the first time, computers were more important than books.
Young people change their habits.

The media revolution is releasing its offspring. The way young people currently shape their lives could be a model for the future. Today's 14- to 29-year-olds represent the first "Generation @," growing up with and using electronic media such as TV and CDs, mobile phones and PCs as a matter of course. The media's influence on their lifestyle is lasting. Fundamental changes in their habits are on the horizon: For the first time this year, young people are more enthusiastic about computers (471,000) than about books (431,000). Just five years ago, there were twice as many book readers (1996: 471,000) as PC users (231,000) among young people. This is according to the latest media analysis from the Leisure Research Institute of British American Tobacco, in which a representative sample of 2,000 people aged 14 and over in Germany were surveyed about their media habits.
The book is not dying out, however. And a decline in reading culture is not to be feared for the time being. Young people are managing an unusual media balancing act. They are holding onto their old reading habits while simultaneously embracing new media. A comparison over the past few years shows that the percentage of young people who count reading books among their favorite everyday pastimes has remained stable (1990: 401,003 – 2000: 421,003 – 2001: 431,003). In addition, however, PC use is growing at almost exponential rates (1999: 291,003 – 2000: 341,003 – 2001: 471,003). The computer complements, but does not displace, the book. This development was foreseeable and is irreversible. The fascination with the new medium of the PC will continue to grow, but browsing and reading a real book will not lose its appeal.
Ever since electronic media existed (radio, film, television, computers), the end of books has been prophesied:

• In the 1920s and 1930s, there were fears that film would revolutionize the education system and "completely replace" the use of books (Wise 1939, p. 1).
• In the 1940s, it was predicted that radio and television would replace the slate and the notebook, and that school radio would dominate teaching (Levenson 1945, p. 457).
• And since the mid-1990s, serious consideration has been given to whether it is possible to do without libraries in schools and universities and replace books with computers.

If it were up to New Gingrich, the Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives in 1998, there would be "no more textbooks" in two years because all students would only be working and learning with laptops (cf. Stoll 2001, p. 50).
Indeed, printed textbooks can quickly become outdated, while laptops can always be updated. However, everyday experience contradicts this: "Laptops are far less durable than books. In the hands of children, they barely last a year. They don't survive a fall onto concrete, a trip to the beach, mud fights, or even an overstuffed schoolbag. They don't like hot cars or snowstorms. Their CD-ROMs can't tolerate Nutella or jam. The rechargeable batteries have to be replaced annually..." (Stoll 2001, p. 53). The computer will never replace the textbook, at best it can supplement, update, and improve it.
Germany remains a nation of readers, but the quality of reading will fundamentally change because avid daily readers are almost extinct (1992: 161,000 – 2000: 61,000), as current representative studies by the Reading Foundation (2001) demonstrate. A kind of book-reading paradox is spreading in Germany. The number of books in private libraries at home is growing, but so is the proportion of non-readers (1992: 201,000 – 281,000). Clearly, more and more books are being bought and fewer and fewer are being read. This confirms a prediction from the 1990s. In 1992, the B·A·T Leisure Research Institute published a future scenario entitled "Leisure 2001". It contained provocative theses that caused unrest and criticism in the book industry at the time: "Perhaps in the future significantly more books will be bought than actually read. Thus, many a richly gifted leisure consumer, pressed for time, is left with only one strategy: 'Read a bit, put it away – and forget about it!'" (1992, p. 21).
The scenario has now become reality. The Reading Foundation must self-critically admit that Germans are well on their way to becoming a nation of indifferent readers.

• Skimming ("I sometimes skim the pages and only read what's most interesting") is becoming more widespread (1992: 14% – 2000: 19%).
• Parallel reading ("I often have several books that I read simultaneously/in parallel") has almost doubled in recent years (1990: 10% – 2000: 19%).
• The practice of reading in small portions ("I read books in small portions over a longer period of time") is also increasing (1992: 29% – 2000: 35%).
• It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to read a book continuously and without breaks ("I stick with a book I have started, but I take breaks") (1992: 18% – 2000: 47%).

In an increasingly prevalent channel-surfing culture, the patience for lengthy, in-depth reading is slowly being lost. This is confirmed by the observation: "In the future, people will read faster than they do today. At the same time, the willingness and ability to read longer texts will decline" (Opaschowski 1999, p. 196). Looking ahead, reading will not die out, but skimming may become more important than reading cover to cover.

Generation @: Constantly on edge!
More and more in the same amount of time

The competition among media for today's limited time is intensifying. For the younger generation seeking experiences, time is now just as important as money. Young people increasingly live by the motto "Do more in the same amount of time.".
Those aged 14 to 29 want to see, hear, and experience everything and not miss out on anything in life. They spend just as much time watching television as the rest of the population (961 TP3T each). In addition, and often simultaneously, they use other media in their free time: They watch significantly more videos (511 TP3T – total population: 281 TP3T) and also spend more time listening to CDs and music cassettes (721 TP3T – total population: 421 TP3T). And they even still find time for reading books (431 TP3T – total population: 431 TP3T).
Almost half of all young people use computers (471 TW – total population: 251 TW), and nearly a quarter enjoy video games (231 TW – total population: 81 TW). The development of new technologies and the spread of electronic media have made many leisure activities more attractive, but at the same time, they have also brought stress and hectic schedules to young people. The stressed-out Generation @ answers the question "What first?" or "How much of what?" with time management: More and more activities are crammed into the same amount of time, carried out quickly, and, above all, completed simultaneously.

The digital divide in Germany is widening.
High school students outpace secondary school students

Last year, the "Initiative 21," developed jointly by the German government and industry, issued a warning: "Germany is threatened by a digital divide." This digital divide is now a reality and is widening rapidly. Never before has the gap in internet usage between students in lower-track secondary schools and those in academic-track schools been as wide as it is today. Those surveyed with a lower-track secondary school leaving certificate make almost no use of online services (41%), while the proportion of internet users with higher education is more than six times higher (25%). The information elite is creating a new monopoly of knowledge, much like the priests in ancient Babylon or the monks in the Middle Ages through their monastic libraries. The old class-based society is reviving in the new two-tier society of the information age. Foresight is the capital that creates new inequalities.
The digital divide is primarily an educational problem and less a question of internet access or technical skills. Internet access cannot compensate for educational deficiencies, i.e., shortcomings in schooling and vocational training. Even if all schools are connected to the internet one day, the digital divide will largely persist unless general education in Germany—from basic cultural techniques to English proficiency—is simultaneously improved and essential life skills such as independence, imagination, the ability to make informed choices, and quick comprehension are practiced and more strongly promoted. In fact, the correct statement should be: It is not the internet that divides society, but rather the existing educational gap within the population.
In the US, almost one in four citizens is illiterate (241,000), in Italy it's one in three (331,000), and in Germany almost one in five (191,000). According to research by the German Association for Literacy, 5 percent of Germans are practically illiterate, and another 14 percent are semi-literate, barely able to write a simple letter and remaining at the lowest level of literacy. Just as people with lower levels of education read significantly fewer books or rarely go to the theater, museums, or art exhibitions, they also make little use of computers and online services. Anyone who wants to fundamentally change this shouldn't declare computers and laptops the new educational ideal, but rather improve reading and writing skills across the board and systematically promote analytical and independent thinking in schools.
Computer literacy presupposes reading literacy. Literacy-illiterate people cannot become computer experts. This applies equally to the importance of writing skills, which are closely linked to reading and computer literacy: twice as many avid readers use a PC to write personal texts. Consequently, three-quarters of the population who do not write privately do not own a computer. There is a demonstrable correlation between the private writing habits of German citizens and the use of new information technologies (Bredel 2001, p. 154). Without stronger support for education, reading, and writing skills on a broad scale, the information and knowledge society remains an illusion. And without mastering basic cultural techniques, including arithmetic, using a PC will continue to be seen as...

• cumbersome and confusing,
• strenuous and tiring

perceived (cf. Gross 2001, p. 189).
A future-oriented education and media policy should therefore be guided by three principles: 1. Enroll all primary school students in English classes. After all, 80 percent of all information on the internet is written in English. 2. Enroll all secondary school students in programming and computer science courses. 3. Require all public television channels to regularly broadcast English-language feature films – not dubbed, but with German subtitles – in order to acquire language skills similar to those of citizens in the Benelux countries. Using new information technologies requires more education, more knowledge, and more language skills than ever before. Without such a broad educational initiative starting in primary school, there is a real risk that a large number of functionally illiterate people will join the ranks of those who are illiterate.

The internet is becoming a lifeline.
More of an information exchange than a shopping marketplace

The virtual family doctor is no longer a utopia: Medical databases worldwide will be able to manage health more professionally in the future because medical histories, vaccination records, and allergies will be stored on computers. More than a third of the population in Germany (1999: 291,000 – 2001: 351,000) has a strong interest in receiving a "medical opinion" directly on their computer – for example, explanations of an X-ray or a blood test.
However, there is a significant educational and generational gap. Almost half of all university graduates (49%) trust the new information possibilities offered by telemedicine, while respondents with only a primary or secondary school leaving certificate have relatively little faith in it (26%). The younger generation, in particular, aged 14 to 29, is increasingly embracing the "cyber-doc" concept (1999: 35% – 2001: 43%). The older generation, on the other hand, is hardly receptive to such a possibility: 83 percent of respondents over the age of 65 reject such medical advances and prefer to stick with the tried-and-tested method of visiting a doctor (1999: 83% – 2001: 83%).
Patient records from cradle to grave are possible. The doctor-patient relationship could fundamentally change in the future. Better-informed patients would then be able to participate more actively in implementing doctors' theoretical recommendations. This would allow anxieties to be reduced more quickly, and the exchange of information with other affected individuals (e.g., support groups) would also be easier. While computers and the internet would not replace direct contact with the doctor, they would meaningfully complement it as a kind of additional support system.
A new form of service, promising a higher quality of life, is possible in the future. This is also supported by the continued increase in interest in, for example, participating in continuing education programs from home via PC (1999: 38% – 2001: 41%). Only then, in the ranking of citizens' interests, do home banking, online shopping, and online travel booking follow. PCs and the internet will likely remain more of an information exchange than a shopping platform.

Future prospects.
TV holds its own against the internet

The prediction by American computer scientists that "the internet will devour television" has not come true. Quite the contrary: As in the USA, in Germany, too, the desire for television (1996: 94% – 2001: 94%) has by no means diminished in the last five years since the worldwide spread of the internet. Among the younger generation of 14- to 29-year-olds, who are most fascinated by new media, TV viewing intensity has even increased (1996: 92% – 2001: 96%). The predicted media displacement competition of "PC instead of TV" is not taking place.
For the new generation, the internet is like an additional media channel: alongside television programming, there's now online content. However, it's becoming increasingly difficult for new media offerings to secure a regular place in consumers' time, especially since lethargy, inertia, and a desire for convenience still dominate people's after-work habits. Electronic data networks are all the rage, but Germans prefer to be lazy. Only 11 percent of German citizens use the internet and online services at least once a week.
The computer industry's hopes that the internet could become a mass medium like television are simply thwarted by the population's lifestyle habits. People change their habits slowly. Real behavioral changes will only occur "with a new generation" (Bill Gates) – in ten, twenty, or thirty years.

Computing.
The future of communication in the media age

The neologism "communication" (Opaschowski 1980) refers to network communication and means more than mere information. Those who "compunicate" on PCs and the internet are interactive (and not merely reactive), actively shaping content (and not simply passively consuming it). Compunicators are both viewers and users. When one day TV and PCs merge, and TV viewers and PC users communicate and interact from their living rooms as well as their offices, then these new compunicators will also be viewers (Koziol 2000, p. 13), that is, viewers and users simultaneously.
Computer-mediated communication is sometimes criticized as artificial communication in which artificial identities or "cipher existences" interact (cf. Krämer 1997). This contrasts with the view that personalized communication also takes place under the conditions of computer-mediated interaction. While this form of communication, unlike face-to-face communication, may require more time to establish personal connections, it is sometimes experienced more intensely. Friendships or romantic relationships can also develop via chats, emails, or newsgroups (cf. Walther 1996, Gallery 2000). This is particularly true for chat meetups, where chat communication transforms into face-to-face communication.
The culturally pessimistic thesis of disintegration, according to which other forms of communication disintegrate with the introduction of new information technologies, must be viewed with skepticism. Communication is not "disintegrating" here, but merely taking place "additionally" via a different medium. Communication is being expanded rather than restricted. Teachers, in particular, hope that the possibilities of global email exchange will rekindle young people's enthusiasm for writing, which could then also benefit German and foreign language instruction.
Computing, the networked communication of mobile phones and fax machines, email and the internet, makes people reachable everywhere. Communicating is becoming ever easier, but understanding and being understood is becoming increasingly difficult. Chatting all night with people you don't know? That can only be a poor substitute for everyday communication. Isn't there a greater risk that, for example, young people will increasingly lose sight of or even forget how to interact personally with their friends? Foreign worlds and people are brought much closer with the help of modern communication technologies, while at the same time, neighbors can become like inhabitants of a foreign world.
More and more children and teenagers are becoming accustomed to virtual communication via PC and mobile phone. They quite naturally reach for their phones to arrange to play games with neighborhood children (cf. Petzold 2000, p. 18). The children's room becomes a phone booth, an island in a sea of media networks. In addition, there are communication opportunities in chat rooms or internet cafés. Real life is not dying out, but it must increasingly assert itself against the competition from virtual life.