Paperless Society? No Way, Say Young Adults

 

Despite the trend toward paperless communication — email, e-readers, iPads and e-faxes — a new survey said that America will never become a paperless society. Surprisingly, the younger the respondents, the more sure they were that paper would continue to exist.

 

In a national telephone survey of 1,142 registered voters, Poll Position found that 56 percent of Americans said they don't think the United States would ever be a paperless  society, while 20 percent said yes, one day we'll all go paperless. Twenty-four percent of Americans were undecided or had no opinion on the question.

 

Paper use in the United States is declining. Americans used 4 percent less writing and printing paper in November 2011 than they did in the previous November, according to the American Forest and Paper Association. But most respondents agreed that paper would not become obsolete.

 

A full 63 percent of the 18-29 age group surveyed said the United States would never paperless,  compared with only 42 percent of those 65 and older. Falling between the two extremes, 56 percent of the 30-44 age group and 60 percent of the 45-64 bracket believed the United States would never give up its use of paper.

 

While no difference appeared between men and women, Republicans (58 percent) were more likely than Democrats (51 percent) to reject the possibility of a paperless society. When results were tallied by race, 71 percent of Blacks, 57 percent of Whites and 38 percent of Hispanics believed paper would always have a place in U.S. society.