Why don't people read stories anymore?..Books

[Fattsgalore]

Is it simply the medium of reading isn't favored these days? People don't read as much as they use to, other than BS articles on the web?

From my experience I've noticed most younger people (under 30) at least who want entertainment/distractions would rather surf facebook or youtube. Which is evident by a lack in home libraries and how many people day to day walk around with their noses face down in a smart phone.


Again I'm from a younger crowd/generation. The 30 and up crowd may be different.
Any thoughts? The floor is open to dialogue.
Am I wrong?

[jerseydevil]

I'm always reading.  Novels, history, all sorts of stuff.  I just finished a book about World War II, and started a book called Devil in the White City, which is two stories in one - the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago intertwined with the story of Mr. H.H. Holmes, the first modern American serial killer......

[Serena]

I read like 50 or 60 books each year. On my eReader, but still, I read…

[kirk13]

I'm a keen reader of fiction and nonfiction,as well as comics.

As to why there's a bookless generation? To much easy access to low involvement media such as TV and the web,and too few parents leading their kids to the joys of a good book while they're young!

[MadPlumbarian]

I never was a big reader unless it was something of interest out of a magazine, the wife on the other hand, OMG she's got her kindle and like never stops, she's got to read about 2-3 books a week! JR

[derekmac]

I quite enjoy reading, and now much prefer to use an e reader over an actual book.  I do have to admit I don't read near as much as I use to.  I'm a sci-fi reader, and love Star Wars books.

[bmot]

I read, certainly, and I am from the "smartphone generation" (though I only got my first smartphone like two weeks ago...) I love reading, got my Ereader, but paper books work fine too. Personally, I prefer fantasy, but historic books, and a bit of Sci-Fi works fine as well. Even the more "difficult" literature, if I feel like it, actually. My taste in books is a bit like my taste in music, diverse :p

Sent from... Where am I, anyway?

[Singh]

I'm always reading. A house without books is weird.

[Crow]

I love reading books, novels, anything. But since i got tablet pc, it has been killer... Time flies with this thing... But then, i have my toddler twins that take most of my time... I do not have time to concentrate for long time... I have books that i will read when i will have time... So, at this time, i am happy to read news, and articles on my tablet. One day i have enough time to consentrate on good book, and longer stories

[detron]

I "read" (quotes because an audiobook is more listening than reading, and I devour them too)

I love physical books, but I appreciate the convenience of ebooks.

I have a house full of physical books, and I read physical books often.

I also have a nook, a kindle, and ebook apps like moon+ reader that make it easy to read anywhere any time, without lugging a thousand page stephen king novel with me everywhere.

every time I am in the car, I listen to audiobooks.  also when I do snow removal, cut the grass, am cooking, or when I am working in the garage.
also, if I am out on a nature hike or anything like that, I listen to audiobooks.

I love fiction, but I also love technical books too.  I appreciate comics, and I get on kicks of reading them, but usually that is short lived and then it is back to novels.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have given away more books than most people will ever read.  I have always been a serious reader, right back to when I was a kid and used to read the cereal box while having breakfast because my mother wouldn't allow books at the table.

I gave away most of my books simply because I don't have space for them all.  My wife is also a serious reader, but nowadays we do most of our reading on tablets- her on her iPad Mini and me on my Nexus 7.  We have even more books than ever before, but now they are virtual- although we still have a house full of paper too.

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I seldom watch TV or films, but read all the time

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[ducttapetech]

I like to read. My not always be a book. Always did like a good fantasy or sci-fi. Like reading about history and science.

live from Nate's mobile

[magentus]

I love to read - always have and like Def, I've passed on more books in my lifetime than I can count.

I like real books over electronic stuff because;

You can't lend/give them to others.
You can't give them to charity shops for someone else to benefit from.
You don't need a power source for them.
You can prop a table up without breaking them!
you can sit on a book, chuck it to someone, put it down most anywhere and you won't break it and have to buy a new one.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I like ebooks because I can bring several with me and they are no heavier than the tablet would be anyway. 

I prefer Bio Optic Organized Knowledge units (BOOK) for things like manuals or technical information, but for just reading I prefer the convenience of reading on my tablet or phone.  I don't always bring a book with me, but I almost always have my tablet and I always have my phone.

Def

[magentus]

I worry about the impact of e-books on public utilities like libraries which serve a useful function for everyone, and also, I feel there's a tendency, like with mp3 music, of having 'everything' but not making use of it.

I always have a book with me, and I can only read one thing at a time.

[Grathr]

I read more books now than before thanks to ebooks. I read them on my kindle, on my Ipad and on my phone. I also read physical books. Amazon has been better at finding books for me than the library ever was. Now if I find a topic I want to read more about I have read a whole book about it by the time  it would take me to find the time go the library and probably not find a book about that subject available.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[Chako]

I know our local Public Library is hurting because of the lack of readers, and the advent of e-Books. But I personally think that is just the sign of times, and not a lack of readers.

Besides, paperback books are expensive these days. They can run you up to 12 dollars for a paperback, and if you are an avid reader, smoking or taking crack might be cheaper. There is a local used book retailer that I frequented for years. However, that last few times I went I saw a definite lack of reading choice. I think this is more because more and more people are going the e-reading route with an e-reader, tablet or other electronic device of choice.

I have around 400 books in my personal library. Mostly educational materials of some sort. I didn't think I would jump aboard e-books etc, but I sort of like the convenience of buying online books and reading them on my Ipad.

For those of you who like science fiction or fantasy...

https://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx

[mrynnr]

My public library loans out e-books and audiobooks. Read them on my kindle and listen to them on my iPhone. The only problem with borrowing from the library is not all books are available in digital form. The wait time is usually pretty long since there are a bunch of people that may want to borrow a certain book but they only have a few copies available.

[sticktodrum]

I think more people read books regularly than you folks think.

[Aloha]

I love to read!!!  I prefer paperback and generally read history, military, non-fiction, autobiographies, memoirs, and such.  I have an e-reader with about 1700 books as well as many books that I've given away and have kept.  I have 2 kids that adore reading and 1 that will read but not as actively. 

I dont read many magazines or online articles, I especially don't read the gossipy stuff.  I love to do book exchanges with friends and clients which is a great way to try new books.  I was reading 2 books a month for a long while but have slowed down. 

[greenbear]

I've always got a book on the go, sometimes fiction, sometimes non-fiction, but there's always one on the go 

[ironraven]

I've been reading for longer than anyone, including my mother, can remember. I always have a couple of books going.

[CanadianLMfan]

I like reading.

[RamoN]

I used to read lots of novels when i was younger but now because of my work (one of my jobs is as a health care profesional) im constantly reading and writing reports, reading other peoples work, laws for various reasons, etc. So in my spare time i just dont have the attention or energy to keep reading something i like. I do a lot of music and sports though.

Just to add to your appreciation younger people not only doesnt read much on their spare time but i found is a lot more common for students to dont know a lot of information they should know. So there is a lack of reading in general both in spare time and work time.

[RT1969]

I read a lot, but I hate e-readers. If I read something on wikipedia, I use the laptop. But reading a book on screen? No thanks.
Lots of paperbacks, some hardbound. Lots of Fantasy/SciFi, but also some 'Sachbücher' (Non-Fiction).
I can't survive a train ride without a book.

And I am under 30! 

[Fattsgalore]

After about an hour of reading an LCD screen my eyes have had enough. I can't even read long articles online without taking a break.
Books I can read for hours in decent lighting.


And to who ever likes audio books look into James Axler's Deathlands,(love them) that and almost any Star Wars audio book is gold. I use to regularly go to sleep listening to SW audio books in my youth. Closet I ever got to a lullaby...

[Sweety-Sama]

Oh I so love to read good novels!!
But I nearly didn't read at all until I was 12 and then only thin Si-Fi books. I'm dyslexic so reading was at first really hard and exhausting. It still sometimes is. Long texts in a forum sometimes discourage me.
When I'm in the mood for reading (by now I like to read novels in English original - like Terry Pratchett) I can't stop with it... I read Snuff of Pratchett in 14 hours (24 hours if you include sleeping time and other distractions). So I need a whole weekend off to read... RT gets a bit pissed off of this sometimes ^.^;
I still need to get enough time to read raising steam! I couldn't get enough time since Christmas (or was to stressed out to read).
It sometimes really put you off the line being dyslexic :-/ some things are just too exhausting..
On the other hand I can always blame spelling errors on it! "I'm dyslexic! I'm allowed to do that!"


-----------------------------
Using a future communicator stolen from the NCC-1701

[Steinar]

I like to start the day with a few cups of coffee and a short story or chapter of a larger work. "Me time".

I think quite a lot of people read, and I knew many people who with the advent of e-readers and the larger smart phones read much more than they have done in years. Also, the web has done a lot for letting amateur writers getting in touch with each other and make their novels available like the fanzines of old.

I really don't like the implications from "intellectual property" and smurf like that with e-books. If a disadvantaged kid has his/her e-reader stolen or damaged, (s)he loses all of the books, and those books may be that kids only lifeline out of a rather smurfy reality. Physical books seem to have quite a few advantages here. I love paper, but space is expensive (our apartment can only hold that many bookshelves) and I don't like moving around physical objects when bits suffice.