Why do so many people hate reading?

[Winnie]

My love and passion for reading ignited from a very young age and almost every day, my nose would be stuck in a new book. Especially in primary school, people mocked me for my love of books (which I ignored because it was their loss of they didn't like reading). But now I'm curious why so many people dislike reading so much. Is it because it's considered "uncool" to read now? I have always loved reading and so have never understood why some people dislike it so much. Can anyone shed some light on this?

[Phil]

The simple answer is that everyone is different. I hate watching sports but I know a lot of people who love it. I have a nephew who is a elementary school teacher who thinks reading fiction takes too long and is a waste of his time. I have one son who only reads fantasy novels and another who only reads manga.

I think some people just aren't "built" to enjoy the written word as much as you or I do. How long does it take you to read an average book? Let's say 10 hours. In that time someone else could watch 5 or 6 movies or hockey games or a whole season of Game of Thrones or play Call of Duty or just go talk with friends for 10 hours and they would get more pleasure than if they read the same book as you did. There's nothing wrong with them; we're all just different.
Reading is no more "uncool" now than it ever was. Apparently more people read regularly now than did 10 or 20 years ago, possibly partly due to Harry Potter's popularity.

[Crabby Constance]

I really dislike Harry Potter (why is this discussion under this book anyway?), but I am a pretty advanced reader for my age...I'm always reading more than one book at the same time...I love reading, though. I especially love writing. In fact, I'm currently working on a book and laying the groundwork for other book ideas. When I was in first grade and kindergarten, I was in public school. Now I'm homeschooled, for many different reasons. Anyways, in those grades, I advanced in reading really quickly. I was pretty much the best reader in the class. But then they said they couldn't let me read any more of the books. I had read all of the ones that were available to me. After that...I brought my own books. School stinks!!! Now I'm homeschooled, and if I love a book enough I have the time to read it all in one day. Yay! Lots of library visits! And the spelling tests were SO easy. Spell "dog", says the teacher. I was done in five seconds, but apparently, she wasn't. "dog" she says again. "the dog fetched the ball" she says after a pause. "dog" she repeats. another pause. "we're now moving onto the next word." she says. FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!! That whole word took at least five minutes. I guess I was also the best speller in the class... And writer for that matter, even though looking back on my school work it stinks (in comparison to my writing now), but I still got an A+ on nearly every single writing assignment. In fact, I guess you could say I was best in the class. Especially in handwriting. Some people's handwriting...I don't know. Either I was really smart and everyone else was normal, or I was normal and everyone else was way below average. Wow, this post really turned into "why school stinks" instead of "why people hate reading". I strayed really far from the main point of this discussion here. Whoops!

[C]

I don't think anyone really hates reading. I think it's just that at a certain age it becomes cool not to read. And everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon and be cool too. Same with hating school (although that is more understandable).

[Jason]

I found a Facebook group once called "I hate reading." And I just had to wonder - exactly who is that group for?!?

What is its overall purpose?

[lulu]

Because I think it's not exactly their fault. It's the fault of people who are punishing them to read books when they do something bad. And the media who makes them think that reading books is lame, and according to media being a 'geek' is a low statue and if you read books you become a geek. Seriously it all because of some wrong thoughts. So if someone gives them a book that they would probably like this would probably make them think that reading is not such a bad thing. So if we want to solve this problem we need to reccomend as many books as we can to as many people as we can. Because I've made some close people to me like books and this felt awesome, for me and them. And if we do this everybody wins.

[Crabby Constance]

I guess I'm a geek then...Anyways, I know people will probably think I'm weird, but I actually like school. Especially at the beginning of the year. At the end I'm tired and ready for it to end. But I guess I don't go to a public or private school...I go to a co-op.

[Dizzy]

Most people don't hate reading, but the pressures of school and the way teachers force them to read books they dislike, act as if the students are idiots if they dislike it, then make them write a million essays on them, can take a toll on someone's enjoyment.

And some people just have different tastes. I know people obsessed with sports where I could care less, and that's no different. I hate binge-watching TV, though I know that's "cool" to do now, too, it's just how my brain sees things. So if someone hates reading, who am I to judge? They can't help it.

The millennial generation is often criticised for not reading nowadays by boomers, but the fact of the matter is that millennials are out-reading their elders, with more young adults going to the library than before. It certainly not "uncool" to enjoy reading in today's society. I think your classmates were just dicks.

[Geetanjali]

I dont think its about hate or love, per se, I guess its a lot to do with connection, the story/content connecting to a reader/audience. We have different perspectives and each of us perceive in different ways, some may just pick up something or watch something because that is what every one is doing, but eventually see it for what it really is, and some just naturally gravitate to the story, because there is a connection. Either ways, depending on the experience, the person, when faced with a second chance to indulge, will give in/ or not.

[DianeMP]

The love of reading is instilled in children at an early age. It involves a parent or caregiver that reads to them on a regular basis. When I taught (43 years) in middle school, I always talked to my students about their experiences with reading. An astounding number of students each year, shared with me that no one ever read to them! And guess what the next words were usually "I hate reading!"
When my children were very young we began to read together. We started with Pat the Bunny, moved onto Toad and Frog, then books like Ginger Jumps and The Mouse, the Bear, and the Big Red Strawberry. I was animated while I read to them and made it a fun and loving experience.
When the Harry Potter series came out, we read each one as they were published. I guess you could say my children grew up with Harry Potter.
As we read I asked them to make predictions, to visualize book aspects in their mind as we read, we talked about characters, checked our predictions, and drew conclusions.
As parents we are our children's first teachers. The love of reading is taught as is manners, politeness, kindness, curiosity, and a love of learning. Without these lessons, we continue to coarsen as a society as we are dumbing down. A vital democracy cannot thrive with anything less.
Just passing through, I hope no one minds my leaving thoughts with your group. Happy reading!

[AlwaysGlo]

I think it's because some of them never found a book that they truly loved and the only books they read are for class, and even people like me who love to read sometimes don't enjoy those books. Then, they view reading more of as a chore rather than a hobby. Some of it may also be because they don't really immerse themselves in the world or paint metal images, which takes away from the experience. Meanwhile with things like TV you don't have to do those things because it's already done for you, so I guess it's "easier" to enjoy.

[Zeromarch]

probably because they never try it , or they might try the wrong book .
Well you should try something you like & sense the magic of words

[Crabby Constance]

some people just may not be interested. Maybe they just don't really care. Or maybe they have a learning disability. There are many causes for people not liking to read.

[Alexis]

One thing that I think really influences whether or not someone hates reading is the pressure they felt to read as a young child. Like many of you, my nose was always in a book in elementary school and middle school. When I approached high school I became overwhelmed with all of the school assignments and projects that had been assigned to me, that reading for entertainment began to take too much out of me and I detached myself from reading extra novels. There's also the idea that people are attempting to read books that are not within their range (i.e. it has concepts and words that they cannot grasp yet). So many things can contribute to someone's disdain for picking up a book and reading.

[Suraya]

I think that mainly it's due to the fact that we're in the age of speed and everything is so fast-tracked and everyone is too fidgety to actually sit down and read a book, but it isn't uncommon to see people listening to audiobooks or podcasts. I think it's just that everybody has a preferred method of learning/entertainment, and curling up with a book isn't for everyone. Also, it could be that we live in a society that stresses the importance of having a social circle and life, whereas reading is a solitary activity that may get in the way of that. But then again, just because someone is popular and goes out all the time doesn't mean they hate reading/books. So, really, it isn't a hate of books, maybe just ignorance/the misfortune of having not discovered the joy of reading/the desire for time efficiency.....

[Crabby Constance]

No podcasts or audiobooks for me! I can't listen to someone talking for 15 minutes straight, I end up zoning out most of the time. There are some podcasts that I am able to listen to, but not many.