Why People Don't Read Books

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Michael S Knipp
PO Box 465
Plattsmouth, NE 68048

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[Opalescent]

IN A WORLD ... where everyone looks at me like I'm insane when I say my hobby is literally reading

[cubbeige]

I think this is because reading is slower and society right now has a shorter attention span. There has to be something constantly happening to glue someone to their seat. Reading takes time and you have to do the work yourself inside of your head. You have to interpret and form the scenes, setting and the character's faces based on the writing and dialogue. I guess this is why I love reading....it prolongs the epic journey for hours and days and all of it is happening in your noggin.

[SeekingStories]

Took me a second to realize the beginning wasn’t an ad 😆. Fun stuff, as always!

[LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I love how I know what video the last clip is from 😂

[GenCavox]

I'm sorry Eragon caused you such emotional damage you had to make a video about it.

[Yesica]

Yep.
But hey, that leaves more books for us!

[americanbookdragon]

I play videogames to get over book hangovers and when my IQ feels like it’s dropping I read a book.

[altregogh]

TV has been a thing since the 50’s. Video games since the 60’s. Obviously, the content for each platform has gotten better over time. Writing, acting, story, character development, plot mechanics, music, graphics etc...

You left out the only component I’d blame for many that lack literary experience. In fact, I’d argue that this one element disconnects people from many experiences that matter. Social media. Even TV and video games are getting closer to being ignored. Not nearly to the same ineptitude as the written word. But people still need to actually invest more that 10 seconds of their life into a movie or gaming experience. Go to a theatre. Host a movie night. Count how many times a phone pops up in a simple two-hour increment? It’s an addiction.

Quick anecdotal story. I’d be studying for whatever test, or reading whatever book in my dorm room and I would watch my roomie literally scroll on tiktok for hours. I had some down time and I wanted to read ‘Locked Doors’ by Blake Crouch. I read it in one sitting. While I read, my roomie just laid on his bed, on his phone. I finished the book in a few hours. Not a very long book. But he was still on the bed. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was just on tiktok. I laughed and told him I literally just finished reading this entire book and you haven’t budged? He scrolled video after video for hours?

Even right now, with this post, people are probably saying to themselves, “Ahh, TLTR!” It’s sad.

Social media platforms are short and concise. The point is to deliver quick and immediate information and entertainment. Content, such as tweets, status updates, and short videos contribute to a decrease in attention spans. It becomes a challenge for some to engage in sustained reading. Books require a longer attention span, a commitment to follow a narrative and explore complex ideas. You are required to fully immerse yourself in the story to gain the information and knowledge. No instant gratification in books.

Social media provides a fragmented reading experience. You are encouraged to skim or browse. Users quickly move from one post to another. No deep diving into any particular content. This habit of consuming information in short bursts impacts the ability to engage in sustained reading.

Honestly, and this is just my tin-foil-hat moment, this almost feels intentional. Like, someone doesn't want a society that is capable of meaningful thought or critical thinking... just saying.

In the famous Star Wars scene, I’d replace R2-D2 and C-3PO with a pile of books. I’d then have Obi-Wan say to the Stormtroopers, "These are not the dopamine hits or the “likes” you are looking for."

[ShirleyTimple]

Most people don't know the difference between "should've" and "should of". I weep for the future lol

[jaginaiaelectrizs]

🤣🤣🤣🤣👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 _(spot on)_

IF ONLY THAT WAS WHY *_I_* HAVEN'T BEEN READING MORE OFTEN, LATELY, 😅😅🙃😅🙃😐😅

[cybersketcher]

This reminds me of the Tchaikovsky using 21 cannons thing.

[anotherbibliophilereads]

Maybe it’s just me, old and cranky, but none of the activities in the video had any appeal whatsoever. I wouldn’t even read Eagon if it were the last book on Earth.

[DannySabraArt]

Dude. I’m just starting to wake up to the perverse system of destruction that some modern technologies are wreaking on our minds and souls. Everything you showed here is designed to milk our dopamine system for everything it’s got. And we’re all freaking addicts at this point. That’s why even though I WANT to, I still struggle to read for any length of time and when I do, my brain is distracted very easily. That’s me wanting to read and build the habit. Imagine not wanting to and just giving in to the instant gratification all the time. I’m more and more of the opinion it isn’t an accident. Once you read about how Facebook and Instagram, YouTube and Apple all AB test their UI’s and run things past casino designers and addiction experts to make their software MORE addictive (I.e maximum dopamine) it’s really screwed up. Any one thing is probably fine. But it’s the avalanche of everything all the time that’s killing us.