Quote:
Originally Posted by azayn
Our modern culture simply isn’t conducive to reading for pleasure. Social media, video games, Netflix, etc. are all huge distractions that get in the way of reading even for somebody like me who enjoys it. Not to mention attention spans have shortened as a result of technology and it’s no wonder people aren’t inclined to read anything longer than a Facebook post or a news headline.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s before the advent of the internet. Back then, there were far fewer things competing for your attention and the dearth of entertainment options made it easy to pick up reading as a hobby. My wife, who grew up outside the US, was an avid reader back home as TV and internet access were limited. Books were the most convenient entertainment option there. But she hasn’t been able to rekindle the same enthusiasm for reading now with a gazillion Netflix shows and movies at the tip of her fingers. I suspect this is the case for most folks. They either moved on from books or never cultivated a love for reading in the first place.
To be honest, I don’t think I would have become a reader either if I were a kid growing up today.
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I have noticed this with my niece. Both my niece and nephew are very adept at using their tablets and surfing Youtube, apps, etc. Way more than I was at that age, and I'm only about a generation and half behind them, so I grew up with personal computers but not iPads. Either way, they don't seem to care for reading much. My niece saw me reading sometimes, and once I think even imitated me reading on the porch, but didn't seem to be actually invested in books like I was at that age.