Americans are reading fewer books

[hobnail]

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...wer-books-poll

[Dr. Drib]

This information is well-documented, unfortunately.

(On 'Device' - you list no ebook reader. GASP!!!!)

[David Munch]

It is unfortunately dropping globally I believe.

Young people often have a hard time formulating themselves properly using writing, and are slow readers. I see it for my own students (University) and my wife says she sees the same thing (High school equivalent).

[tomsem]

The good news is that YouTube streams are increasing.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by tomsem

The good news is that YouTube streams are increasing.

And those stupid memes, animated gifs, and gifs with text. And they think they're so clever with their stupid memes. Copying and pasting someone else's work is clever?

[JSWolf]

The thing is there's Work or school TV, video games, social media, YouTube, listening to music, family (Kids), etc. It can be hard sometimes to find time to sit down and just read a book regardless of your age.

[crane3]

Does audio books constitute "reading"? Or even activating the text to speech when "reading"? Is 'reading books' include the reading of the many web/light novels online? What about reading a manga or comic as reading?

It is the visual age that has helped along with apple's intro of the mac512 gui; all you need is to 'click'. Books are not the only devices containning reading material.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by crane3

Does audio books constitute "reading"? Or even activating the text to speech when "reading"? Is 'reading books' include the reading of the many web/light novels online? What about reading a manga or comic as reading?

It is the visual age that has helped along with apple's intro of the mac512 gui; all you need is to 'click'. Books are not the only devices containning reading material.

I consider listening to be reading as you are digesting the book's content.

[tomsem]

This is a link to the Pew findings (similar to Gallup poll):

https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-conte...gy-Topline.pdf

Audiobooks are explicitly considered ‘reading’.

And this is the Gallup link:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/388541/...ooks-past.aspx

It also explicitly includes audiobooks as ‘reading’.

[SteveEisenberg]

The thread title might better be that Americans say they are reading fewer books. It could be that they are just getting a bit more honest about how few they read.

From the top of the thread link:

Americans purchased more than 825 million printed books in 2021, up nearly 9 percent from 2020 and well over the 693 million sold in 2019, according to NPD BookScan, an industry analyst.

That doesn’t prove how much people read either. It could be that people bought books because of libraries being closed due to lockdowns. Or it could be that people bought books to decorate shelves.

If people were reading books less and our better newspapers more, I think that would be a plus. Not that it’s likely.

[LDB]

Listening is not reading. If it were then everyone with a radio playing in the background would also be reading. If it isn't print received either visually or in Braille it isn't reading. Book consumption yes, if it is an audiobook and not top 40 music, reading no.

[Paperbackstash]

Unfortunately most people rarely read for fun. This doesn't include those who reads for the news, sports, or gaming guides and magazines. There's nothing wrong with the second group either, but just for fun reading a book? That's not an especially popular hobby with large chunks of the population. Boy, they're really missing out, aren't they?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by LDB

Listening is not reading. If it were then everyone with a radio playing in the background would also be reading.

That's a tired argument. It's also a giant non-sequitur.

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

Unfortunately most people rarely read for fun. This doesn't include those who reads for the news, sports, or gaming guides and magazines. There's nothing wrong with the second group either, but just for fun reading a book? That's not an especially popular hobby with large chunks of the population. Boy, they're really missing out, aren't they?

Yeah, I had a coworker like that. He never read a book unless it was necessary for work, and before that for school. I was gobsmacked. And he said he didn't watch TV but he did spend a lot of time playing computer games.

[JSWolf]

My Dad didn't read books for fun. He did read newspapers and magazines. My mother read for fun. I got my love of reading from my mother. My sister also reads for fun.