Do you read much, and if not, why?

One of the assignments for this semester's English writing class at my university is analyzing why, on average, people read a lot less than they used to. With both me and my wife being avid readers (probably average two books/week), it's not something I can honestly relate to.

So, if you belong to the group that doesn't pick up a book often, why? Is it because people spend so much time reading on the Internet? Because the constant barrage of media and the rapid pace have gotten people used to instant, brief information? Looking at TV and media overall, it seems like everything's served in little chunks of a few minutes here and a few minutes there... while a book requires dedicated attention for hours at a time.

 

i haven't read a book in my life... of course with the exception of text books... but i guess thats the case with most engineers

 

In that case.. why? Just no desire to read?

 

I don't read books that much at all. Hardly ever. Why? It's because i'm too involved with music. I don't have the time to read. Right now I'm in the process of reading 4 different books that i've been trying to finish for about a year.

-drums

 

end up reading so much technical stuff that to me, i guess reading is associated with learning, not entertainment

 

Ditto ^ ^

I have to really force myself to read so it just doesnt interest me.

The books I do enjoy reading are centered around my activities like Mountaineering, backpacking, climbing, etc. For example. Into Thin Air. I guess its b/c I can related to some of the situations.

 

i go through phases..there will be times that i dont pick up a book at all and other times where that is all i do..on average i probably read about 8-10 books a year though..the times i dont read are probably the times where i am playing video games or go through a spirt of doing something to the house

 

kris: reading instruction manuals for video games doon't count as reading books

 

reading is associated w/learning and for the most part we dont even know whats good anymore or what we would like to read, hence why so many people are reading the Harry Potter series

 

I have been thru phases with reading. After my car accident, when I couldn't walk, and couldn't go out side by myself easily, all I did was read books. I must have read about 30 books in 2 months. As soon as my mobility returned, I reverted to my old style of hanging out with friends, playing video games and watching movies. I haven't picked up a book since. I really enjoyed my time reading and I am honestly not sure why I don't read anymore. I guess just laziness.

 

Hmmmm. used ot be an avid reader and still do when I actually have down time. I think today, people have so many more activities that take up space in their lives. We have the ability to be more mobile than those in the past, the world stays active later into the night (24 hour walmart, krogers, etc.). And the internet has impacted where I obtain info. I still like to read books, but the time I choose to alot to that activity has dropped significantly. In fact, the last time I read a book, cover to cover, was 2 summers ago when I was at my in laws house and I actually had the time to chill out for the morning....

 

well, i do read books... a mix between info and entertainment.

being a design/art director, i do a good bit of reading on what people will and won't do and why.

as far as why people don't read books for entertainment... reading is work, kind of like working out-for the eyes and brain. and the brain doesn't like to work on principle (it's a self-patterned information system). and like you said, we're under a constant barrage of information, that we're constantly creating patterned intake systems to. the words designers live by is "small palatable bites". another phrase we live by (and copy writers too) would be "people don't read". we're mechanically lazy, and seeing that the brain takes a large portion of energy to run, it makes sense that the brain would make an effort to do more with less. that's the physiological take.

on the social/emotional front, there are a LOT of reasons people don't read for recreation. and some of these reasons are skewed along social demographic lines (in many poorer areas it's not "cool" to read, in some case studies it was found in african areas that reading was a "white" thing, and in rural white areas it is a "city" thing (yeah i know, the irony is kills me too))

Then you have the expected "active" lifestyle that is predominant in our culture (america in general)... to sit idle even reading a book for recreation is to be no substitute for going out and being "social", or participating in some sort of "other-directed" activity (this is a trend that came about post WWII, and was not only partially invented by marketers, but fostered by them as well to this day, because if you're out doing something, you're probably buying something, think about that next time you feel you just gotta get out of the house and don't know exactly why). prior to WWII marketing was more factual, and lengthly. the social focus was on the "inner-directed" individual.

that's a REALLY CLIFF-NOTED, 20k mile high view of why people typically don't read for recreation.

 

Some very interesting points you've made, monk! I really appreciate yours and everybody else's input here.

I hadn't thought as specifically about the marketing aspect, but you are right: people sitting at home reading won't consume, and it's in the best interest of the vast majority of the corporations to have people be out where they'll likely spend money. The whole have-to-be-active, have-to-be-social, have-to-be-doing-stuff mentality is certainly well reflected in people rushing all over the place while chatting on their cell phones and figuring out which retail store or hangout to hit next.

Now that I think about it, I have noticed Sweden becoming more and more like this every time I visit; when I grew up there almost everybody read all the time, and while it's certainly still quite common, a lot of people graduating high school / college there now are mostly focused on being with their buddies, going shopping, and generally just ditzing around aimlessly while hemorrhaging as much cash as possible...

 

Used to read a lot of books, until kids lol. Now I have 11hrs a night at work to read, I picked up a short book and finished it, but the best reading to me was at home in the quiet, which no longer exists. Now adays it seems I only read on vacation.

 

I don't read very oftenanymore, mostly because there's not time. When I'm not working or doing homework, i don't want to be sitting down. I enjoy reading, but there's so little time that once i get a chance to start a book I have to put it down for a while and come back to it later.... Hopefully that will change in the future though.

 

I actually enjoy reading, and usually have time to do so... Unfortunately, I'm really lazy... There is almost allways something good on the tube or with my Netflix subscription a new movie to watch. I have started reading more lately now that I'm back at the GYM and can read while doing cardio... So, I'm sticking with lazyness and cable tv as my excuse....