Full circle: vinyl and printed books make a comeback as young people seek refuge from digital burnout

Irish Times

16-05-2025

Older generations will remember the excitement of saving for and buying a brand new vinyl record and the crackle of the sound as it plays.
The advent of modern technology has meant records and cassette tapes have been cast aside in favour of CDs and music streaming apps such as Spotify.
But old-school entertainment is making a comeback. Interest in vinyl has soared in recent years; figures compiled for the Irish record industry show sales topping almost 400,000 units a year.
The demand has led to a brand new vinyl-pressing facility, the only one of its kind in Ireland, to open in Clane, Co Kildare.
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'Vinyl is more than just music, it's a deeply personal experience – the sound of the memories and moments which define us,' says the facility's founder, Brian Kenny.
'There's something magical about lowering the needle and hearing the warm crackle before a note is even played. That ritual of taking a record out, admiring the artwork and reading the liner notes – it's all part of the connection.'
He believes that, for many music lovers, vinyl is 'the soundtrack to their lives, with history and identity being passed down through generations'.
'The physical link to music is powerful. No stream or download can replicate it,' he says.
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It's not just records that are enjoying a resurgence.
Books are also becoming increasingly popular with data from market research firm Nielsen BookData showing that Gen Z – those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s – are turning to the books their parents and grandparents enjoyed. Printed books accounted for 80 per cent of book purchases for the year to November 2022.
Vinny Browne, buyer for Charlie Byrne's Bookshop in Galway, says that although CDs, DVDs and printed photographs are in danger of becoming obsolete due to streaming platforms and online galleries, the same cannot be said of the printed word.
'Firstly, for any technology to replace an existing one, it has to be better, and the ebook is not a better product than the traditional book,' he says.
'Also, the book has been central to our cultural life for a few thousand years, so is hard-wired into our brains as a means of communication – and people are less willing to give it up as a result.'
Browne says 75-80 per cent of all books published in the world are physical books. This statistic 'would have surprised many who were forecasting the end of physical publications 25 or 30 years ago', he says.
But, conversely, advances in technology have also helped to maintain the popularity of print books.
Vinny Browne, buyer for Charlie Byrne's Bookshop in Galway
'Books are very successful on social media and the industry is very adept at getting its message out to the public,' he says.
Browne points to popularity of BookTok where social media users talk about books on the TikTok video-sharing platform. There, readers can 'turn a forgotten or neglected title into a bestselling sensation by merely shining a light on it'.
A book can be 'a machine for consuming vicarious experience, be it travel, time travel or immersion in the lives of others', he says.
Psychologist Dr Malie Coyne says she is not surprised to hear that people are turning to books and records for entertainment as it is a means of escape from the fast-paced world we are living in.
'Society is suffering somewhat from burnout in a constantly busy world,' she says. 'Digital media is always changing, with new feeds and information, and we can become overstimulated by the sheer volume of what is around us.'
Older formats of entertainment 'allow us to slow down' and buying a vinyl record or a book 'allows us to be more intentional about where we direct our attention – and many of us are craving that'.
'Buying a record used to be the biggest deal – you would save your money up and it was something so precious. So there is a longing for when life felt simpler,' she says.
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The next generation discovering the joys of vinyl: 'I like all older things, old movies, old music'
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Dr Coyne says the appeal of vinyl and print books also lies in their tangibility.
'When we touch things, it engages our senses,' she says.
'I was recently given a vinyl from one of my friends and even though I don't even have a record player, with its beautiful cover and printed lyrics, it feels like a treasure and is so grounding. The same goes for books – their gorgeous smell and the feel of turning the pages.'
She says this all provides 'a moment of pause and helps us to feel grounded – to drown out the noise of the world and bring us back to a simpler time'.
Sensual sentiment and positive mental health are not the only benefits of buying books and records; it also helps to keep native industry alive.
Kenny says that his vinyl-press facility means artists and labels do not need to look overseas, which can be costly and time-consuming.
Kenny says 'in a world of skip buttons and digital overload', vinyl 'reminds us to slow down, to listen properly, to appreciate the art.
'That's why it still matters,' he says.