Why do less boys and men read?

[SouthernMaiden]

Just saw this article(below) I don't think this is just in the UK and might be even worse in the united states. Why do so few men and boys read?

While women and girls are having a cultural Renaissance with whole new genres (Romantasy for example) and reading more than ever.

Why do you think this is? Is it just as simple as social media/games/videos is just so easy ans brainless and addictive?

 

[ArcadiaBlade]

BS. I know for a fact that its mainly because most guys use incognito to read.

 

[JayMark]

because Men only read serious things, for men, like the war reports in the newspaper, auto repair manuals, and books on how to weld steel! Like manly manly men!

And shaving instructions on their machetes.


And Playboy for the thought provoking articles.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

BS. I know for a fact that its mainly because most guys use incognito to read.

I find that interesting. Women are way more open about the smut they read! Literally shelves in barnes and noble, articles, ect!

 

[Anonjohn20]

While many sources will point out that males prefer physical activities, I've always felt that school reading assignments often fail to engage dudes, often pushing themes dudes don't care about. I remember enjoying books like "The Most Dangerous Game." (book I read in middle school) and thinking "The Hunger Games" was overrated (book I read in middle school too; the first book was enjoyable, but the second and third ones were ass).

Furthermore, if schools let people choose what they want to read and didn't attach a workload to every piece of literature, then maybe more students would enjoy it. Instead, we are reaching a point where 10% of high school males read for pleasure and 17% of females in high school read for pleasure, but they'll look at it as a gender issue rather than "Oh shit, people growing up now don't enjoy reading." I have always loved reading; I have never enjoyed having to dissect everything I was forced to read or my grades would suffer.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

While many sources will point out that males prefer physical activities, I've always felt that school reading assignments often fail to engage dudes, often pushing themes dudes don't care about. I remember enjoying books like "The Most Dangerous Game." (book I read in middle school) and thinking "The Hunger Games" was overrated (book I read in middle school too; the first book was enjoyable, but the second and third ones were ass).

Furthermore, if schools let people choose what they want to read and didn't attach a workload to every piece of literature, then maybe more students would enjoy it. Instead, we are reaching a point where 10% of high school males read for pleasure and 17% of females in high school read for pleasure, but they'll look at it as a gender issue rather than "Oh shit, people growing up now don't enjoy reading." I have always loved reading; I have never enjoyed having to dissect everything I was forced to read or my grades would suffer.

I agree, choosing what they want to read is crucial. Or at least give them several choices!

I am really worried that kids/adults are reading less. Reading is so much more enriching than any other type of "entertainment". Like without that...I feel like we're losing something important

 

[onehunter]

I didn't start reading for fun until my mid 20s. Mainly because it was hard to sit down and stay still until I got a bit older.

 

[ShrimpShady]

I assume booktok being mostly women and girls has an influence on recent reading habits between genders as well

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I actually began to read less the older I got.
But that's mostly because my inattentive ADHD became drastically worse.
At least I write instead! So that's something.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

I actually began to read less the older I got.
But that's mostly because my inattentive ADHD became drastically worse.
At least I write instead! So that's something.

I feel this, but for me its like...my brain is tired from adult stuff. It can only handle brainless stuff sometimes

I assume booktok being mostly women and girls has an influence on recent reading habits between genders as well

BookTok or course! Forgot about that. Im not a big tiktok person, but why couldnt this exist for guys? There used to be series that were aimed at teenage boys, like Maze Runner and Eragorn ect

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

School taught me to hate reading. Assigned books and the way we were going through them in class analyzing line by line was agonizingly boring. Here's 20 questions about the chapter you just read.

The stories were crap, too. Looking back at them, I realize the agendas of the authors and reasons why they were required readings.
Indoctrination.

As for why most men and boys don't read? The ideas and underlying agendas do not appeal to them. Most books aren't made for us. Visual media is more engaging.

 

[georgelee5786]

I think people just don't like sitting still and reading as much as they used to, and never get exposed to the books they like in schools. I love warhammer 40k books but who has ever been assigned to read those? I love high fantasy and science fiction, but those arent very common either. I think school simply fails to help people find their preferred genre.

I agree, choosing what they want to read is crucial. Or at least give them several choices!

I am really worried that kids/adults are reading less. Reading is so much more enriching than any other type of "entertainment". Like without that...I feel like we're losing something important

I'd disagree about books being anymore enriching than, say, plays or opera. Nor any more than movies, shows, and games. Each medium has a strength that keeps it important.

 

[JayMark]

I read like crazy as a kid, but I often would refuse to read books the school had us read if I hated them. I also learned how to hate read, forcing myself to read a book I hated and grapple with the ideas.

 

[Tetrahedron]

my attention span at reading is truly unmatched when I have no jobs to do (and remained unemployed), but that was from the bygone era. Nowadays, I got easily distracted and had to refocus on doing my job.

 

[Playerkartik]

All I ever read were the subtitles in anime and my textbooks...

 

[Nyctoria]

They do read, but the kind of things they read is not something they want to be caught reading. It is the same as what @ShrimpShady consumes daily.

 

[ShrimpShady]

They do read, but the kind of things they read is not something they want to be caught reading. It is the same as what @ShrimpShady consumes daily.

Oh you mean my feminist literature?

single btw
also tall for a shrimp
my hobbies include taking walks on the beach, crochet, independent coffee shops, and feminist literature

 

[Nyctoria]

Oh you mean my feminist literature?

single btw
also tall for a shrimp
my hobbies include taking walks on the beach, crochet, independent coffee shops, and feminist literature

Lilith's simp.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

School taught me to hate reading. Assigned books and the way we were going through them in class analyzing line by line was agonizingly boring. Here's 20 questions about the chapter you just read.

The stories were crap, too. Looking back at them, I realize the agendas of the authors and reasons why they were required readings.
Indoctrination.

As for why most men and boys don't read? The ideas and underlying agendas do not appeal to them. Most books aren't made for us. Visual media is more engaging.

There are so many male authors doing great things! Like most of my fav scifi books are by men

 

[Rezcore]

Schools are factories for jobs that no longer exist. Boys are not designed to sit quietly as someone yammers away, they need motion. It's in our genetics.