I’ve had the words, “I don’t like to read” echoed back to me more times than I can count in return to the question, “What’s your favorite book?” So, why do people dislike reading? Before addressing why people don’t like to read, let’s look at why some do like to read.
Matilda Cruz (9) said that she enjoys reading because it takes her to “another world.” Julian Gutierrez (9) also touched on this topic, saying how people that like reading are able to be “in the main character’s perspective” and expressing how being able to imagine that you are experiencing what’s happening in the text from the first hand view makes it more engaging.
On the other hand, everyone that was asked the question of why people don’t like to read said that it was boring. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, the brain doesn’t like to be in a low-stimulation environment, and a lot of people associate that directly with reading.
So, what causes this boredom? It can stem from a lack of connection or interest in the text. Furthermore, the act of cracking open a book can be so intimidating to some people that they haven’t tried, which causes them to simply base their belief that reading is boring off of preconceived ideas.
“Among 9-year-old students, around four-in-ten (42%) said in 2020 that they read for fun almost every day, down from 53% in both 2012 and 1984,” according to Pew Research Center.
So, what has changed to cause this in our modern day world? Well, nowadays, it’s easier to reach for the television remote or to scroll on social media rather than continuing to push forward and read.
This can be observed in the “Two Systems Theory” (“Battle For Your Brain”), developed by Robert Atkinson, a doctor of cognitive and data science, who says that there are essentially two different types of mental activity compartments. The first type is “fast, automatic, and intuitive,” and the second type is “slow, deliberate, and analytical.”
Reading falls into the second category, while other forms of entertainment (like television, social media, etc.) fall into the first category.
On the flip side, there are some more intuitive reasons why people struggle to enjoy reading. Jade Isabella Escoto (11) brought up how, “in school you have to read … so that doesn’t put reading in the best spot for you, and you associate it with a negative thing.”
Giselle Magdaleno Diaz (11) also addressed the concern that some people feel the need to read large, academic texts to be perceived as smart.
“Reading doesn’t have to be a reflection of your intelligence,” Magdaleno Diaz said. “It’s a reflection of what you like, what you’re interested in.”
All this is to say reading is decreasing in popularity. However, it doesn’t have to. How can we begin to enjoy reading for pleasure again? Almost everyone who said they love to read said it’s all about finding the right book.
What do you find gripping? Engaging? Funny? Relatable? That’s the right book. With that, you can single-handedly make a difference in today’s reading statistics and raise a new generation of well-read, educated citizens.
