Does anyone know why people dislike books? It confuses me.?

Question

In today's society, reading is frowned upon. I ask the question why?

If you dislike reading, say so. There is no need to be shy- I value your opinion as much as my own.

In addition, to answer the question of my favourite book I only have a top 100. Because I am an avid reader people often ask me my favourite book and so I allocate one of the top 100 for each day- if you asked me tomorrow, I'd give you a different answer.

Today my favourite is The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy.

Thanks for all of your answers- it's good to know that people still have good minds and know what they're talking about. You've given me points to ponder.

Answer 1

I think it's because of a couple of factors:

1) A whole host of other types of gadgets and media have been developed in the last 30 years to compete with reading time. Today you have cable TV, 24 hour channels, several video game consoles, hand held video game consoles, sophisticated portable video/audio devices, cell phones, home PC's, laptops, the internet, DVDs, etc. If you're spending your time using any of these other things, you're not reading. I'm not that old, but many of these things did not exist either when I was a kid or in my home when I was a kid.

2) Marketing has become so much more sophisticated and ubiquitous. Through all types of media (print included) people are saturated with marketing for all the kinds of electronic devices and media I already listed. Capitalism is king, so books are going to take a backseat to pushing the more profitable electronic devices and services on people.

3) Reading involves a more active kind of thinking activity. Things like movies and TV are much more passive experiences. Video games are more flashy and exciting than reading. It is easier and more exciting to engage in those other kinds of media than in reading.

4) Most parents aren't encouraging reading to the exclusion of these other kinds of media and activities. And they aren't leading by example.

5) Even the schools betray reading by increasingly integrating more audio/visual type media into their classrooms. Movies, video, and computer/internet activities are all becoming increasingly part of classroom teaching tools. Sometimes I think that these things can be used well. But if school is one of the only times where some students will ever be forced to read, and a teacher finds it easier to put on a movie than to get the students to read, the student will never get into the habit.

Answer 2

Well, I love to read. However, I do have an idea about why some people don't like to read, well several, actually.
Some people don't have the Patience
Some people a treehuggers
Maybe they can't find a book they like
Some people think it's a total waist of time (this makes me cry)
Many times when books have bad words or innappropriate sexual content, parents won't let their children read it or just some readers aren't really into that sort of thing
Some people just don't have the intellect
And also because people are different, it's like asking why someone is afraid of heights. They just are, right? Well, some people just don't like reading. I couldn't possibly understand why people wouldn't like BOOKS in general, though. They help out with lots of things:
Freeing of the mind
Expression of thought
Freedom from emotion
learning things
telling you How-to
you know, there's LOTS of things. I think you mean like reading though, right? You know, some people have a hard time reading. Some people have bad eyesight, like me. Or have Dislexia, or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, I have it) or even ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder, part of ADHD). Some people, like I said, have a hard time reading. Or, I guess that there are those people that used to read a lot, only in one genre that they liked, but then they ran out of the exact type of things that interest them, so now they feel like they've read everything there is to read. And they therefore, don't read anymore. Well, I hope I helped because I really don't know. I couldn't POSSIBLY say that I hate to read or even understand why people say that they hate to read. You know, I think I have one more idea. Some people may be lying when they say that they hate to read, they may just say that because generally people that like to read are called nerds or geeks, and most people lie about A LOT of things because they are afraid that they will get made fun of. Did you know that at least 50% of teens don't even know who they are anymore by the time they reach highschool. That's how busy they were pretending to be somebody that they're not. For some teens, the knowledge of this startling fact can lead to suicide. Sad, huh? But it's also really scary.......Well, bye then. I hope you find the answer to this question, because I was wondering the same thing. When you know what the answer is, email me at: [e-mail]

Answer 3

I love reading (and writing)!

Maybe it would be better to ask why people prefer other formats?

The movies, video games and other formats already have the work done... a person doesn't have to "do" anything for the effects or styles. The first reason could be laziness.

Unfortunately, learning vocabulary takes a little effort and applying the imagination to the black and white words on a page isn't as fun because the cover doesn't vibrate when the cave explodes, trapping the hero or heroine. That's not my loss.

Beneficial to writers everywhere, all the flash on the screen at the movies has to start somewhere, usually with one person applying their backside to a chair and putting pen to paper or the fingers on the keyboard.

It all starts with words written on a page... video games, movies and even songs.

Those that dislike the books are missing the best parts.

Answer 4

Not really answering your question the way you want so for that I apologize.

I have a thought as to why today's society frowns upon reading.
We are lazy! Today's culture is submerged with MEDIA! Ipod's, Wii's, Cellphones, Sidekicks, Laptops, HDTV, Plasma, Computer's, Movies, DVD's, it is almsot all visual, it is so much easier to sit down and watch an episode of Seinfeld than pick up a good Ted Decker novel and start reading. We burn more calories sleeping than we do watching TV. We are a culture that does not want to make our brains work hard to use our imagination or actually think about an idea that a writer might present in a book. I don't like to read, but I love what I get out of reading. I am trying to read more and more. I definitely do not frown upon it but I know it is easier to watch a movie than read a good book.

Answer 5

Dear reader:

You must not be frequenting libraries, book stores, book clubs, universities, etc. Reading is still prized in these circles. Though, admittedly, some of the towns I have lived in in the last 15 years have closed down branch libraries and/or drastically reduced hours of operation.

Technology has produced an immediate gratification society in which it is not necessary to consult actual books for information and entertainment. Some prefer to do this by interacting directly with others, watching T.V., listening to the radio or stories on tape, taking in movies, reading text on a computer, etc.

Other individuals may not like books due to: Lack of exposure early on; Hyperactivity and learning disorders leading to a traumatic time learning to read; Being a member of a family or peer group who disdains the activity; Having an all-consuming passion for some other form of entertainment.

A Sci-Fi novel which may interest you is Walter Tevis' Mockingbird. It explores the death of literacy. The book is out of print but may be obtained in a used bookstore or on Amazon, etc. starting at about four bucks.

Happy reading!

Answer 6

A lot of my friends don't like to read, although I do. People just would rather do other things, and think that going into things that have nothing to do with them are a waste of time. Most people would rather watch tv, or play games, or spend tme with friends than read. Also, people who don't have friends or enough money to spend on media usually spend their time reading books, and since theydon't have friends they are usually considred "nerds." This stereotypes make people not want to read because of the fear that someone might call them a nerd, then they'd lose friends. Media is taking over as well. Stories in books are movies, and people are lazy.
I hope that helps!

Answer 7

i think its beacause, for the teenage crowd, reading is a sign of "i have nothing better to do" aka no social life, and for the older crowd there is a recent obsession with doing evrything quickly and multitasking. You drink you coffee while you drive to work and while you are on the phone with your sons principle you type a report for your boss. Nobdy seems to have the time to read anymore...its sad really. Also I find that alot of young people are turned of to literature by the demand of required reading in schools. If you are asked to read a specific book by a specific time it becomes less of a leisurly activity but more of another chore on your homework list. Evryone has different taste in books and so they dont usually enjoy assigned reading. In general it is easier to see a 2hour movie than read a ten hour book. Sad.

Answer 8

The majority of my friends are avid readers, but I do have one, who hates reading anything. My own son has trouble too. Unfortunately, there are those with learning disabilities, and reading the printed word doesn't register in their brains as it does in our literature oriented minds. I remember at age 13 when I started to like reading, it took me so long to complete a book that I almost got discouraged that I could read! I persevered and got over it, but my friend and son, will never get to that point. My friend complains she can't read much because by the time she gets to the bottom of the page, she can't remember what she just read a paragraph ago. Their minds don't compute the literal as we do. It's sad because reading can give you so much in terms of learning and personal development and knowledge about everything, I couldn't live without it! But they can't live with it! They are what's called "visual" or "auditory" learners. They gather their info through the spoken word or attain knowledge through visual observations. We naturally will compensate for our shortcomings in one area by developing strengths in other areas. My girlfriend has many talents and my son can rewire a computer with his eyes closed but I wouldn't know the first place to start, so it's somehow tied to our natural abilities and talents. Happy reading! Me too!

Answer 9

Some people dislike books because they cannot find a book that they would be interested in. I, for example, only like to read if the book is about fantasy or adventure. It really doesn't depend on the person whether or not they like a book, it depends on what kind of book they like and if it is hard to find.

Answer 10

Society is soo lazy now. why waste time and actually do something to better yourself and read when you can just watch it on T.V. Usually people who don't like to read are ignorant. I can't imagine how anyone in the world can't enjoy reading and escaping into someone elses world