I’m noticing more and more that young folks who come through my classes are reading for leisure less and less. How do I know this, you ask?
Well I am a huge bibliophile - I love books…And I like to reference books in some of my lectures. I usually ask a good cross section of the class, " So, what was the last book you read? How often do you read? Does school impede your reading, if you read a lot prior to college? etc…etc…
There is an overwhelming majority that do not read, and say that even before college they did not read very often…There are the occasional few that do read voraciously.
So dopers…anyone see this trend where you live? What could the reasons be?
Where I live – that is, in my house – no drop-off in reading has occured. The four of us in my nucular family have read approximately 54 books so far this year. Since we tend to swap books around, the actual person-book count is higher.
The world at large? I’ve always assumed that reading is on the decline in general, although I can’t back it up with anything other than my impression.
Possible reasons – based on observations of my behavior and that of my kids, I’d say ready access to computer games of all types is the major culprit. We watch TV on a targeted basis - we don’t usually sit down just to stare at the tube. Thus, our leisure-time choices tend to be “read a book or blast something”. The answer to that choice depends on the type of day we’ve had.
Lately, I’ve been in the mood to blast stuff, but that’s only because it’s been a tough week.
I also read voraciously. I also hang around with lots of nerdy people, so they mostly read too. But I can imagine that reading actual books doesn’t seem nearly as fun as watching TV, playing video games and surfing the 'net.
A co-worker is always shocked that I have two (!!) newspaper subscriptions, and always pick up paper copies of the free weeklies, because all of it is available online. I would so much rather read an actual paper than click through some computer screens, for so many reasons I don’t even care to think about it. But if someone grows up thinking of newspapers as things to read on the computer, they may not see the same joy.
There was an article in the weekend paper about children getting repetitive strain injuries from all their time spent on computers of various sorts. If you grow up in a world where all worthwhile stimulation comes from a computer screen, I guess boring old books wouldn’t be so interesting.
I love books, magazines, newspapers, etc. I have always read at a fast pace, so I can go through 3-4 books a week if I’m in the mood. So, no, it’s not passe in my life.
As a librarian and lifelong avid reader, it’s not passe in my house at all. My 11 year old always has his nose in a book. Sometimes he prefers to watch t.v. or play a video game, but he still manages to be at the top of his class in extracurricular reading just because he enjoys it. Reading doesn’t come as easily to my 7 year old, but we read together and I read to him every night.
When I was a kid (oh so long ago!), the coolest thing I had was my library card. I could walk to the library and find out information on all kinds of subjects and read all kinds of stories–this is pre-VCR, pre-cable t.v., pre-Internet. Today kids have the Internet, cable t.v., videos, DVDs, gameboys (or whatever gaming system is in right now) to provide them with instant entertainment. If we want to raise readers, I really think we have to make a concerted effort to do so.
I’ll never forget my son, his face filled with wonder, as he told me how he just got lost in this book he was reading. The story became so real to him through the author’s words, and he couldn’t wait to finish it but wanted it to last forever. [/proud mom moment]
I don’t know if it’s people are not reading as much (i.e. not interested) , or if the number of distractions are getting in the way. Also, books are no longer the only medium to read.
In high school & college, I read constantly (this might explain my grades, since I read in class). A book a day, normally.
Since I graduated, go married and had kids, I now am lucky to get through two books a month. There’s no time. If I lay down to read, I usually fall asleep after about 10 pages. Chasing kids has completely cut out my free time.
But if you count the number of web pages I read on a daily basis, I’m probably running a book or 2 a day.
And, as you can probably tell from my signature line, I’m a bibliophile as well.
Interesting question. I don’t think I would say that the level of readership among those that read has gone down, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that a smaller percentage of the overall population (at least in America, the only frame of reference I have) consists of avid readers. There are so many outlets for activity that take time and attention away from the time that people used to read during that it is no wonder that some chose not to read.
Personally, I have little time during the semester for pleasure reading. In the past three months I have read about twenty assigned books, an uncountable number of extracts (some quite lengthy), and approximately twenty more books as research material for papers. Add to this reading two or three newspapers daily during the week, numerous websites for research purposes and entertainment, several monthly magazines, and assorted letters, emails, and other correspondences. So, when I find time for leisure activities I look for other outlets (target shooting, the dope, or hitting the pub). However, during breaks, the books come back out and I the reading restarts - fiction, history, philosophy, whatever I can get my hands on really.
I am, however, amazed when reading accounts of the libraries collected by, say, the leading members of the revolutionary generation. The quantity of books is enormous and the range of topics covered is staggering. I don’t think I will ever be as well or widely read as these men. And, alas, I don’t think I will ever learn enough of the classical languages to read some of those ancient works in the original.
I think that reading takes a back seat to TV, computers, and video games for a lot of kids these days. When I make my kids turn off all the electronics they will usually find something to read, but their preference is to sit in front of the TV or computer. I really have to limit the amount of time they get there in order to get them to do more constructive things - like reading.
I think it depends on both family history and time of life. When I was in grad school (with two little kids) I had little time to read for my own pleasure. But following grad school and upon receiving tenure I am back to pre-grad levels. My daughter is at that point right now and her pleasure reading has dropped way off. Son who is two years further ahead in grad school still reads at a fair clip. As far as family history we three read all the time when they were small, including taking turns reading to each other when they learned to read. They used to read aloud to me in the car when I drove them to day-care.
Their dad on the other hand hardly reads at all (maybe 1 novel a year), but neither of his parents have read a book since I have known them (over 30 years). When I was a teen my older brother and I would read the same books as our parents and we would all argue about who got to read them first (lots of stealing going on). But my younger brothers never got into it because our parents basically quit reading when older brother and I went away to college .
Now, my younger brother’s kids like to read (but they only get books when I send them). Younger brother (44 years old) prefers video games and I don’t think I have ever seen his wife pi ck up or discuss a book.
Soooo there you have it from my little universe.
PS I am currently reading a Terry Pratchett book (Night Watch), “The Woad to Wuin”, a Romance (to embaressed to tell the title), “Master and Commander”, “Benjamin Franklin” (which I’m not too impressed with) and “The Isles” (A history of England, Scotland and Ireland). Can’t wait to see what I get for Christmas.
PS please don’t tell me about the spelling errors. I already know I can’t spell worth a damn.
I’ve always been a steady reader, getting through a couple of books a week. Lately it hasn’t been the case, because everyone where I work has been using up their holiday time and/or getting sick, so my hours have been up and down too much to settle down with a book of an evening.
I bought a new book for myself for the first time in about two months only on Monday called “The Burning Times”- looks pretty good so far.
Agreeing with most posters re: computers etc. being the reason behind the decline of reading. My last SO was huge on films and computer games - he could never understand what was so good about reading a book. Tch.
It is my understanding that more books are purchased every year, and that this has been going on without change since the invention of the printing press.
I still see a lot of people reading, so I wouldn’t say it’s passé. It does, however, require more of a committment than it used to, because we’re faced with less free time. I find I need to set aside time for reading, because if I don’t, I get caught up in a million other things I have to do.
It also doesn’t help that books are getting more and more expensive. 12$ for a paperback is a bit steep for someone on a student’s budget. Not to mention that I’ll most likely be finished it within a few hours! I enjoy used book stores, and I know all the city librarians by name, because I want to read and I’ll put effort towards finding books. But not everyone is like that. Some will look at the price tag and say “What the hell, I’ll just go home and watch Friends”, because it’s just easier and cheaper.
My family is filled with readers. If I don’t play on the computer after work, I can usually read a 300 or 400 page book before bed (of course my bedtime will be a bit later than usual). When I was in high school, I would read at least one book a day. On Saturdays I’d read at least 3. Sundays were my slow day. I’d only read about half a book. My sisters and I used to fight over books. My oldest sister and I worked together to get every Stephan King, Dean Koontz and John Saul book available. Then she moved out and took most of them. I’m still pissed at her for that. I’ll read just about anything. Now, Mr. Congo’s mother and sister are also big readers so I borrow their books all the time. I read all of the first 4 Harry Potter books in one day just to annoy his mother. Mr. Congo likes certain books and he’ll read them over and over but he doesn’t branch out much. He usually just reads Tolkein and Harry Potter. Every once in a while he’ll stun me by reading something else.
I don’t understand how someone can go more than a week without reading a book.
The last real book I read cover to cover was about a decade ago. It was interesting and I would like to have read more like it, or more sci-fi as I had in my youth. I had never read a lot, but a few books a year. Growing up and getting a wife and having kids has really put a damper on things. I used to read in bed until the wee hours of the morning, but my wife can’t sleep with the light on. I can’t stay up elsewhere because she wants me to come to bed so she can sleep. I give my spare time to her and the kids, so I don’t have any time left to sit down and read. Perhaps when the kids move out and the work around the house is done…in 18 years!
When I was a kid I constantly had my nose stuck in a book. As a single adult, I still read at a pretty fair clip. Sadly, as an old married woman, life for me has gotten so busy that it’s difficult to set aside the time, and it drives me nuts to read 20 pages a day. (My preference is to read a book at one sitting, otherwise I’m constantly being yanked in and out of different worlds. Very disorienting.)
I will start to read again, though. I’m going buy out time to do it because I miss it so.
It does amaze me how many people don’t read, especially when you can get most any book you want for free, for a few weeks anyway. Libraries are sanctuaries for the mind and spirit.
That last post sounds as if I never read. I do … but the last time I read a book for pleasure was about two months ago (Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale). Far too long, in my opinion.
I mostly read before bed and while on public transit. As long as I continue to have to do these things, I will always read.
My question then is, what do people who don’t read books do in bed/before sleep (TV winds my brain up too much) - other than sex - and while they are stuck on a bus somewhere?
Well, cowgirl, I can’t speak for everyone, but the mass transit where I live is pathetic, so I drive. And it takes me about 2.8 seconds to fall asleep generally. (Though I love reading before bed anyway.)
.