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Why people aren’t reading books as much as they did before

Discussion in 'Education' started by Anastasiia Fomych, Dec 2, 2018.

  1. Anastasiia Fomych

    Anastasiia Fomych New Member

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    When you enter a public transport nowadays, can you notice anyone reading a good old classic book?

    I know what you’re about to say, that people read books on the gadgets, such as smartphones. Here I would be wise enough to oppose your statement, and call it wishful thinking.

    When people use gadgets in public transport nowadays, it’s because they’re playing a game, chatting with someone or watching a movie. It’s not like in early 2000's, when people would hold books or newspapers to read.

    The primary reason for it is the fact, that we all became too lazy. We want more action. We think we know a lot and it bores us to know even more. Reading book requires patience, but our century has a very fast traffic of life. World goes fast, and we just can’t find any spare time in order to gather patience to read a book.

    Do you concur?

    [​IMG]
     
  2. veronicah

    veronicah New Member

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    I concur with you. The current generation is too lazy when it comes to reading.Go to schools, students are doing poor in literature, all because they have no time to be with their set books.People have also shifted their laziness to the internet.They would rather google than get first hand information from the written text.Much time is spent on games,television and internet.If you want to hide anything from the current generation,hide it in books.
     
  3. MelanthaKrasos

    MelanthaKrasos New Member

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    Reading book enriches a person’s understanding about life. It may brought a reader into the most vicarious situation he/she might not be willing to be with in real life situations. I therefore I agree with you that this generation has long passed the time where they read books.

    I taught in secondary school, and mostly all of my lessons has something to do with literature.Students seems to find reading a tiring and boring task, they would rather watch movies or used Facebook than read. Addiction to social media site ruin the likeness of a student to be able to read good books. This attitude contribute to the reason why we have a poor education outcome. As an educator, it is a challenge to teach students who are disinterested towards reading selection. Most specially if the lesson to be taught has something to do with the selection itself.
     
  4. ElectorAlexander

    ElectorAlexander New Member

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    Well it's true that the rate at which people read these day has reduced but it is as a result to major factors which I will be listing below.

    1) I think the advent of technology and online printing press has reduced the demand for books and reading habit among people.

    2) It's easier to locate answers to what you are looking for online than to search it on book, people no longer have the time to read when they have internet to summarize the whole thing for them.

    3) Much time are spent on social media more these days so people don't have time to face their studies talk less of reading much these day.

    I don't want to put the blame entirely on technology because it has also made reading habit rise in some way so we have to also appreciate it as well as tell the fault.
     
  5. Obalade Damilola

    Obalade Damilola New Member

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    I guess with the internet,onslaught of electronic gadgets,people are becoming more lazy. Gone are the days when people will read novels for donkey hours and not get tired. Nowadays,people will rather play games, chat with other people or catch up on the latest celebrity news.

    The honest truth is our children are becoming lazy and if we call them future leaders, I wonder what the world will look like when they take over
     
  6. GuestHu

    GuestHu New Member

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    Sadly it's true. People are becoming lazy due to technology and would rather choose to play a game application than reading a book because playing is more fun than reading a text. Perhaps, these people are not trained well to read a book or find it a boring task. I think to retain the culture of reading a book is to train the children or the next generation to make reading one of their habits.
     
  7. Alphids

    Alphids New Member

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    I completely agree with you Anastasiia. The book reading culture has become extinct due to the internet technology. People have become extremely lazy, you find that if you come a cross a new vocabulary, you dash to online dictionaries, need a Bible verse, the online Bible is there. Than reading entertaining novels, you watch the movie online by the same title. What people do not understand is that in the process of converting these things to soft online copies they are altered and important facts left out; its done to make a quick buck! Today, you may visit a friend's family and be disgusted; the father is working from home on the laptop, the mother is on phone, and the children are play games on different gaming consoles- no one is talking to each other.

    Internet has brought in anti-socialism which has brought in laziness, aloofness, loneliness, health disorders and lack of interest in items that will make you tire-like reading books. Let's go back to enjoying reading books over coffee, in buses, homes, outdoors and everywhere. It's really enjoyable.
     
  8. Marius Dan

    Marius Dan New Member

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    Why do we not read? Because moms kept prisoner of household chores put in the children's hands tablets and handsets instead of books. Because in school we are forced to read "because we have to," and too few teachers develop the pleasure of reading in their classrooms, preferring to add them to the bibliography.

    Where are the dreams of lying on a meadow, on a beach or in an armchair, and losing yourself in the stories' world, whether real or fantastic?
    Where are the banks in the parks where the curious people did not let you turn the page on the book you were holding in your hand, because they still had a row to read?

    Public readers have become aliens today. They are strangely watched by passers-by, especially by the youngest. What the hell is staying with a book in your hand and not with a smartphone connected to headphones on your ears? Or have not you got your last Can Can from the kiosk yet ?!
    Instead of seeing who's cheating with who's wife, are you lost among Bulgakov's Daisies ?!
    Plus, if you have busy hands, you can not even spit seeds, and then why did you get out in the park ?!
     
  9. louisf412

    louisf412 New Member

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    The Simple Answer - It is “SEEMS” a lot less interesting than watching TV or Browsing the web.

    We have created a culture where our children find it daunting to read their study materials, No wonder they stop reading completely once they complete their graduation. At-least I stopped reading it. I know most of my friends did stop reading books.

    We stopped reading because

    REASON #1

    I often asked my self what is the point of reading books? It take hours may be weeks to complete a book, You will know what I am talking about if you have studied Money Master the Game by Tony Robbins or Heck! “The Law of Success” by Napoleon Hill.

    Books demand your undivided concentration to grasp the intricacies.

    REASON #2

    That’s too much to ask in today’s world where our average attention span is 8 seconds , One second short of Gold Fish - According to a study conducted by Microsoft Corp.

    [​IMG]
    That’s why Video bloggers like Gary Vaynerchuk create one long video and break it into 4 or 5 shorter videos.

    REASON #3

    If I say the word book, What comes to your mind? Does the struggle of graduating come to your mind or the pleasant memory of getting lost in a Fiction Novel come to your mind?

    REASON #4

    For generations the only other possible solution to finding an answer lied in reading books. The former option is to ask someone who has the knowledge to answer. Now we have a lot of other options to find the basic answers in life.

    • Wikipedia
    • Scishow by Hank Green on Youtube
    • WikiHow
    • Google
    • Quora
    • StackOverflow for programmers
    REASON #5

    The distractions in life are ever growing, Now all the businesses out there want to grab your attention and they will pay a lot, involve in extensive research to make sure that they appear in front your eyes for what 30 seconds?

    As you know distractions work against reading or completing a book. That’s exactly why book summaries websites are ever popular.

    REASON #6

    We are connected, Research suggests that it is not possible to deeply know more than 150 people. How many Facebook friends do you have? Have you accepted someone as a friend in Linkedin, Facebook , or Twitter just because it increases the possibility of receiving more likes?

    It sounds silly when I put it that way doesn’t it? As a result, a lot of us are busy taking a picture or a creating a post, Like me right now! To get my answers and opinions out to the world and watch it gain attention!

    REASON #7

    Its humanely impossible to have 100% concentration on more than one task at a time. Listening music doesn’t count BTW! Listening music is more like a noise neutralizer while working!

    A recent study found that multi-tasking damages our brain but will that stop us from multi-tasking? There by taking us towards the age old habit of reading? Now that’s a million dollar question!

    I am sure I could come up with more reasons, but to my defense, I am a reader myself, I have read more than 40+ books in the past year alone.
     
  10. Parag Joshi

    Parag Joshi New Member

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    Well, that is very true, you rarely find someone reading novels and books when they are travelling these day's. This is particularly seen more in the case of the younger generation. We can often see children going to the schools and colleges busy playing games on there Mobiles.

    I think the habit of reading books should be inculcated in the children right from there childhood. Nowadays, in many cases ,the parents themselves are addicted to playing games on there Mobiles and other gadgets. In such a scenario, there is no point in expecting children to read books or do something different. If the children are not interested in reading printed books , then there is no harm in allowing them to read ebooks which are available online.
     
  11. angeloflight

    angeloflight New Member

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    Well I, for one still enjoy reading books. I love the smell and the feel of every page. But for most people they find it convenient to watch videos when they need to learn something. For example, if they need to learn a recipe and internet is available it's easy to use the internet rather than scour their bookshelf for the recipe. Nowadays reading has become a hobby or a leisure because when living in a fast pace world picking a book is at the bottom of our to do list.
     
  12. gobbledygook

    gobbledygook New Member

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    Few days ago, I saw a man reading on the train and it made me happy. You rarely see people reading books nowadays. Maybe it's because of the advancing technology. People just don't have the time to read books anymore, they would rather be on their gadgets. There could be several reasons anyway. Maybe books bore them, they prefer watching than reading. Maybe some people are too busy with their lives they barely have the chance to sit and read. It all depends on personal preference, I guess.
     
  13. Tyi

    Tyi Member

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    I for one, find this topic very interesting. I also concur with my fellow posters. Technology and social media have occupied quite a bit of time in the lives of many people. However, I feel that when children are introduced to reading early, it will become a part of their routine. I have a nine year granddaughter who enjoys reading traditional books and e-books. I am also an avid reader. Technology has made reading especially easy for me via the smartphone, I-pad and Kindle. Being visually challenged; I can enhance the print as I need to. This allows to takes my reading materials with me.

    The good news is, I come from a family of readers. On my end, I work to do all I can to encourage reading: including having children read to me.
     
  14. Jaye Candice Ramintas

    Jaye Candice Ramintas New Member

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    Internet!. People now a days, either young or old prefer the easier way rather than the basic one. It’s the easy access of it and all you have to do is click here and there and you are reading a book! But not every one though, I for one prefer to read my pages in paper because having to hold one book makes you feel connected somehow. I don’t know if it’s the same to others but i guess only those who collect books understands me.
     
  15. I. C. Ezeokoli

    I. C. Ezeokoli New Member

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    It's weird to even suggest looking into a book to find a fact or solution for class or anything like that. Why? Because of the internet. The internet is fast and easy to find the answers you need, so common sense tells you to use the internet for research, not a book. Angelo flight, you said that reading books has become a hobby - well, of course it has. In fact, it's been that way for a good century. The vast majority of the time, people read books during their leisure time for enjoyment. What else is it supposed to be for? I mean, honestly, I think it's less of a hobby now and more of a chore for people. That's definitely because of the internet. Reading physical books takes time. Scouring the internet doesn't.
     
  16. Tyi

    Tyi Member

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    I agree with you and our fellow posters. Although I still like to read, I find myself reading eBooks more than traditional books these days. For one, I am visually challenged and using my IPad mini works for me because I can enlarge the print and I can take it anywhere. Whereas, traditional books have to be read at home where I can enhance the print. For me, technology is a wonderful thing.

    However, I have noticed that people are not reading old fashioned page turners like they used to. I feel that one of the reasons for this is because technology has made carrying books around and reading them much easier. Books tend to wear out faster when when put in pockets and purses. And by all means, don't accidentally waste something on it, the book is ruined.. Whereas, your eBooks are better protected in the Cloud. However, I must confess, I am reading a traditional book titled "The New World Order by A. Ralph Epperson."
     
  17. knightkat96

    knightkat96 New Member

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    Sadly, people reading a good old fashioned book is seen as outdated. With movies, people can follow along without the effort and patience of actually reading, we have become lazy. It really is a shame, because reading is a completely different experience than sitting on the couch and staring at a television. I also believe that children's upbringing can be to blame if they are forced to read rather than encouraged, they will grow up with a negative view on reading. They might see it as something they "have" to do rather than something they want to.
     
  18. stephanie.norris

    stephanie.norris New Member

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    I was thinking about this a lot the other day. I personally love reading, but I did not always used to. I occasionally still find it hard to really get into a book and find myself lost in it, particularly when it is completely fresh material. However, when reading a book with the same content as a play or movie I am familiar with, I find myself completely lost in it. I think that with the presence of media and the continually evolving forms of stories (i.e. turning books into plays and movies), it is easier for us as people to empathize with and view characters as real people when we can actually see them. I do not think the issue many people have with reading books is reading itself, but the inability to picture them as easily since we have actual ways to visualize stories.
     
  19. allison smith

    allison smith New Member

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    I agree. I heard a quote recently to the essence of "knowledge is no longer knowing information, but knowing where to find it."

    Often, I find myself opting for a TV show instead of a movie, or scrolling through TikTok instead of YouTube simply because of a shortened attention span.

    I still make efforts to read, although I can only sit through two chapters or so at a time.
     
  20. gemna117_crazyforchloe

    gemna117_crazyforchloe New Member

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    I concur. There's a lot more reading e-books than physical books. People are much more interested in playing games or scrolling through social media.
     

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