To those who don't read for pleasure: Why don't you read?

”...Have you seen the TV? It’s way better…” – Jim Gaffigan

Because I’d rather watch television, movies, etc.

I have also wondered this. I, personally, do read at my leisure. But, for those who don’t, I think there are many reasons. Maybe they can’t sit still for more than 30 minutes to read and imagine/visual the story in their head. Maybe the television and internet has replaced novels as an entertainment value. Maybe they think reading is boring or have trouble finishing a book, so they give up. Or maybe they don’t have a good imagination!

I’m no help. In my family, reading was and is akin to breathing (except for one step-son who is severely dislexlic. He just wrote a novel, however. Not a very good one but not-bad either.)

I love to read. For one thing, I can add my own personality twists to my characters, instead of someone else “forcing” their perception of who the character is on me. Also, books give a lot of little detail that movies usually have to leave out because of time constraints.
I’ve known people who kind of brag about never reading after HS or college, and that is SO over my head.

I love to read. But I do not read crap.
Lot’s of crap out there.

@ChazMaz I do not read crap, either. Well, sometimes I start to then I throw it away, thusly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub5QglN_MnA

(Mah grandson)

@Facade What if I were to tell you that the books your favorite movies and shows were based on are much better?

Without fail, every time I’ve read a book a movie was based on, the book was much better. The Harry Potter movies are a recent example of how many great ideas are left out of the movies because of time constraints. And a lot of the time, important details are changed in the movie, making them much worse (I, Robot, His Dark Materials, Queen of the Damned, and The Time Traveler’s Wife are examples of terrible movies from excellent books).

Oh, and one more question for non-readers:

What’s the difference between reading on the internet and reading a book? Obviously you don’t have a reading disability if you spend your time on Fluther. Why is reading on the internet fun, but not reading from a book?

@ChazMaz

Yes, well, “crap” is entirely subjective. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

@Question

I’ll have to ask my boyfriend, because does not like to read. He draws, he spends time online, he watches movies & TV, he does just everything except read. I remember him once telling me that he can’t concentrate (I’m pretty certain that he has ADD though he’s never been “diagnosed” and never been medicated for it) and that he just finds it boring largely. He doesn’t seem to like writing much either, though that would make sense as all he’s ever written are essays. Creative writing is a lot more enjoyable.

I can’t imagine not read for pleasure, but then again, compared to you guys and your 2000 books a year, I barely read at all. I do like to write, though.

Just wanted to say this is a great question, mostly because of the examples @drdoombot provides. I see the same things occurring around me in both my family and my circle of friends. When my friends decide to throw me a bone, as it were, and talk about literature, the best they can do is mention the books they Sparknoted in high school. Sometimes they’ll drop titles like The Da Vinci code and expect me to be excited, as if Dan Brown were a good writer or something.

But that last part is an opinion. Reading anything is good. Like Roberto Bolano sez, Reading is never a waste of time! Television on the other hand…

ADD

@drdoombot Probably has something to do with “sound bites.” On Fluther you don’t have to concentrate really, just jump from one thing to the other. The only way it would be comparable is if you sat down and started reading information websites.

This is sorta off the subject, but my grown kids keep trying to get me to read the Harry Potter series. I tried, but just couldn’t get into it…..am I missing something?

@Val123

My mom couldn’t get into Harry Potter either. It does seem to be something that one should start reading as a kid.

@DominicX I guess!

My original thought when I saw this was, “How could anyone NOT read for pleasure?” But I know that there are tons of people out there who just can’t get through it. Just like some people love to work out for fun and I hate it. I was talking with three guys from my class who all have ADD, and they said that reading makes them feel anxious, suffocated, and nauseous. :(

My poor husband has never been “lost in a book,” so he just doesn’t get it. I think it is such a sad tragedy.

@Judi
http://www.fluther.com/disc/58069/if-youre-a-reader-do-you-find-yourself-really-involved-in/

I wanted to answer this but I think I’d rather go back to reading my book.

I read slowly compared to most I think. I have no interest in fiction, so I rarely pick up a book and read it all the way through. I do read magazines and subject matter related to interests of mine, but again it would not be a book I would read in it’s entirety typically. I was a math science person in school, that is what I enjoyed, which involved workbooks more than reading books. So for as long as I can remember I have opted or found more pleasure reading facts or short passages rather than a whole story about something.

I understand liking TV and movies. I watch a lot of TV and I’m a complete film geek. But… why wouldn’t you also read? I don’t get it.

Funny, people always think I read alot. That I must always have some book on my nightstand every night. Totally untrue.

@MacBean

I simply think it has to do with attention. It’s simply easier to watch TV than it is to read a book. (And yes, I love TV as well, especially Lost).

@MacBean You know, as a teacher I’ve come to the conclusion that reading is a skill that some have that others don’t. Just like math comes more easily for some than others. I think people who don’t like to read feel that way because they can’t read very fast (partially due to lack of practice which is due to disinterest which is due to skill level which is a viscous cycle) and since they can’t read quickly they can’t build the images in their head that book lovers can.

@JLeslie LOL! You do seem like a reader to me too!

@DominicX: hahaha Lost is NOT easier than reading! XD

CSI is NOT easier than reading!

@Val123 just makes a point for the boob tube, You can learn a lot from TV, especially now with great channels like A&E, History, Discovery, etc. I am a very good auditory and visual learner. In school I went to class, took great notes, barely cracked a book, and mostly got B’s. I really pay attention when someone is talking to me, and information sticks in my brain. I also come from a family that talks, discusses, and is interested in new information on many different topics.

@drdoombot I think fluther is different than reading because I am actively in the conversation and it is not more than a page of written material that I typically have to read a one time. And, I am able to ask questions and participate.

@JLeslie Yep. Every kid has a particular learning style that they get the most from. For some it’s audio, for some it’s visual, and others hands-on. People use all three to a certain extent, but there is one that is more effective for some. (Hands on would be me)

I wish I had time to read

Okay.. I’m not a “Reader”, never have been (the amount of books I’ve enjoyed I can count on one hand. Even a hand that was partially lost in war).

1) I can’t pay attention well. I’ll be reading a page, and something I read will make me think about something different. My eyes will keep reading, pretending to be reading the book, as I wander off into space. I then find myself on the next page, not knowing what happened in the past 10 paragraphs. I then have to go back and find where I was and re-read.

2) (subquestion really) You ask why this isn’t a problem to reading on the internet:
a) I abuse the highlighting feature constantly to keep my place
b) As @Val123 mentions,it’s not like you’re (regularly) reading entire pages. It’s a paragraph here and there.

3) It takes too damn long. For the exact same reason that everyone thinks “The movie sucked, the book was way better”. There are so many more details, subplots and all of that shit. Movies are condensed form. You get the same BIG story in 2 hours of watching that you do in 20 hours of reading, it’s just a matter of how many little stories you want to hear about.

4) It requires absolute attention. If I’m fluthering, I’m reading peoples’ posts in-between boss fights in video games. Or chatting on aim/gtalk/campfire/ventrilo. Or eating a snack. (Partially possible because of what I mentioned on question 2) If I’m reading, I have to stare at the book. If I grab a drink, I lose my place. If I get a text message, I lose my place. I can’t imagine trying to watch TV while reading.

5) Books are uncomfortable. Holding them up, trying to keep the damn thing from closing on you, switching hands/positions every few minutes. Not cool.

6) Internet, tv, movies. They’re instant access. If I want them, I turn on my computer. If I want a book, I go down to the library (I don’t think I even have a library card), I search through their aisles and aisles of things trying to find what I want, and it may even already be checked out.

7) You say in your OP you get more hours of entertainment for the money. It’s not the quantity of entertainment that concerns me, it’s the quality.

I found Romeo and Juliet to be torturous to read.

My eyes will keep reading, pretending to be reading the book, as I wander off into space. I then find myself on the next page, not knowing what happened in the past 10 paragraphs. I then have to go back and find where I was and re-read.

That’s how it is for me when I read something I’m not interested in. But other times, I will be reading something interesting and I can’t wait to turn the page. Doesn’t that ever happen to you?

@Sarcasm and @DominicX The reason I get thrown off is because I’m reading so fast that sometimes I’ll read a word from the line below, and not realize it until it tries to insert itself into the line I’m reading which screws up the sentence! I go “Wa??” and have to re-read it.

Right after I got my MA I went through a period of not wanting to read anything. I felt like I could no longer read for pleasure. I was too critical, reading everything like an assignment, and not being able to enjoy a book for it’s story. After about 2 years the habit was gone. But I have never regained the love of reading that I had before I went to college. I do read, but most new stuff is crap, and I have already read every Victorian novel (my faves), ever.

@DominicX No I can’t recall that ever happening. Even with the few books I somewhat enjoyed (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series) I can’t remember ever thinking “Oh jeez can’t wait to see what happens on the flipside of this page!”

Oh I do that so often too @Val123. I have a terrible time with following through to the right line. Which is why highlighting on the computer is so great, it’s much easier to get to the appropriate next line.

The thing about reading for those who have trouble concentrating or are even poor readers is that practice really really helps. And in time you find yourself being able to enjoy reading.

You learn substantially more from a book than you do most television (yes even some of the educational stuff).

I love reading and always have but I will say that I’ve never had problems reading because it was highly encouraged since before I started school.

Now my husband was not encouraged to read and I am just now getting him into books. He prefers non-fiction. But he is finding that what I said is true. It really is about practice. And the more you practice the better you get at it and the more enjoyable it is.

Another thing to keep in mind is not to confuse required reading with for-fun reading.

@Sarcasm It’s like you’re reading “Fred suddenly tripped over a fireflies in the inky darkness…”
say what?? Then it’s like REREAD.
“Fred suddenly tripped over a tire iron in the inky darkness.
The black was pierced only by ^fireflies^ flashing intermittently.”

@RedPowerLady I was very encouraged to read. It drives my father crazy that I am not a reader. His business now is buying and selling books, because he loves books so much. When I was in Jr high they put me in a special class to improve my reading because I was only average and in everything else they measured I was well above average. I think their goal was to get everything up so I could be in the gifted program. I was not in the gifted program in the end. But, by high school you can pick particular subjects to excel in, and that is what I did. I took some AP classes and other advanced classes, and English was not always about reading a book and writing an essay, so that was better for me. History was the worst, because it was reading stories and memorizing dates within the stories that I did not want to read in the first place.

@Sarcasm and @tinyfaery pretty much summed it up for me.

I read as a kid, but once I hit college and grad school, reading texts became a chore. When I finished grad school, I had a 1-year-old and was too exhausted.

The books I have read since that time have been self-help books, which you can read a chapter at a time, and not pick up again for a week.

My visual tracking skills aren’t too great, and my visual imagination is nearly non-existent (which also makes guided imagery exercises impossible too). Ask me what something looks like and I can describe it, but when I close my eyes, all I see are the insides of my eyelids.

Now that my son is grown and I have more free time, I’ve toyed with the idea of reading again. But I wouldn’t know where to begin. If I read classics, I feel I have to put too much energy in translating the words, and I then miss the forest for the trees. The same for poetry.

Like @JLeslie, my brain is more geared toward math and science. Language – whether other forms of English or foreign languages – have always been so difficult. I am also more of an auditory and tactile learner. My expressive language skills are so much better than my receptive skills.

It is nice to know that others can relate!

I love this question.

me too. i have read 6 books since august, two of them twice. i just love it, and hope to have one of my own one day.

@MrBr00ks You don’t have a book of your own? That is so sad. I will send you one for Christmas.

ADD all the way. I’m too impatient and get a little confused when I’m reading instead of watching.

I learned to read 1 year before being taught at school. I was fed up with having someone do it for me and wanted to experience books by myself. I was so impatient I had my mother buy me self-help books for kids and asked her to help me learn. For years, I could spend entire nights reading books. In the morning I would just tell my mother I was not feeling good and couldn’t go to school so she’d have our doctor write a bogus prescription so I didn’t have problem with the school administration.

Then computers were invented and accessible to individuals so I got one early, I spent more time watching TV as well. I guess part of it had to do with the fact that TV related conversations were more common during recess than book related ones. Then I found an interest in politics and finance which got me to read magazines more. I would still read books but liked magazine articles better.

With the internet and computer evolution bringing all the news and entertainment I could dream about, I guess books didn’t make sense anymore. I’d rather read 10 articles about 10 different subjects than 1 book bringing one point of view on one particular topic. There’s also the lack of interactivity. Games have cut into my TV watching habit because the lack of interactivity makes me lose patience more easily, so with just black text on a white background… damn, we’re not in 1794 anymore so what’s the point?

There are books that I’m still interested in though, but unless I can download them as ebooks or, better, as audiobooks, I’m probably not going to bother.

@Fred931: Your answer clarifies your attitude about reading and is not uncommon among ADD’s and those with dislexia.

I just want to comment that I do not have ADD. There are those of us out there who simply prefer not to read books, and are more comfortable learn a different way. Not that there is anything wrong with people who have ADD or dyslexia, I’m just saying it seems like people look down on those of us who don’t like to read books or look for a “reason” which might explain why we don’t enjoy it; an organic reason of some sort that has a diagnosis.

@JLeslie GA but I don’t think Gail was referring to you specifically. She was just talking about ADD in general which has nothing to do with reading, unless one has similar issues in ALL other areas. If someone isn’t naturally skilled in math, it doesn’t mean they have any kind of disorder. It’s just the way it is.

@Val123 I did not take @gailcalled comments personally or offensively. And, I would agree it makes sense if you have ADD or have dislexia that reading would probably be more difficult. Several people commented about it being difficult to focus a long time reading, ADD, dislexia, etc, and I just wanted to add my two cents. Thanks though. I appreciate your comment.

@JLeslie Got ya. What I don’t get is why, in the schools, if a kid has a problem reading the first thing they want to do is “diagnose” them, but that same rule doesn’t follow if a kid is having problems, say, in math or art or music! “SHE HAS NO RHYTHM!! OMG!! SHE MUST BE DYSLEXIC!” LOL!

@Val123 Now that is something I never thought about. It is a good thing they try to diagnose I guess, because then if there is a real/serious problem it can be addressed. But, your right, everything else is just accepted as something you are just not good at, only reading carries a stigma I think. I really do think people look down on people who don’t like to read, I thought about starting a question on that. I think reading is very important, it just is not a passtime for me, unless it is about a specific subject, similar to how I would read a chapter in a text book or trade magazine. I also would never pick a career that requires a tremendous amount of reading. That is what we are really talking about here I think, reading a book for pleasure.

@JLeslie I hadn’t thought of it before either! It does make you go “hmmmmm,” doesn’t it. And the thing I hate most about “diagnosing” is they’ll always be sure to find something—because then the school gets more money from the state.

I don’t look down on people who don’t like to read, or aren’t very good at it! I really don’t. I’d be a lousy teacher if I did, wouldn’t I!

@Val123 I did not mean you personally, just a generaliztion I have in my mind, maybe my own insecurity. I didn’t know you are a teacher. I’m going to write the question—watch for it. Lol.

@JLeslie LOL! I’m watching!

@Val123 haha, no no, not like that, although i can see why you would think so. I meant have published a book of mine own, so sorry.

@MrBr00ks What’s the name of the book?

Here is a contradiction. I don’t read books, but I can see myself writing a book.

It is not published yet.

@Val123: ”If someone isn’t naturally skilled in math, it doesn’t mean they have any kind of disorder.”

But it could. I understand math in theory but more often than not come up with incorrect answers because I have dyscalculia. I doubt I’d dislike math so much if I could actually do it.

@MacBean Of course it is possible there might be a diagnosable disorder if someone cannot do math, but I think the point was that generally people accept that perfectly normal people are not mathematically inclined, don’t judge it,a nd generally don’t try to figure out why you don’t want to do math problems before you go to bed at night.

I read all the time, but in little bits of articles and clippings. Sometimes, I’ll read a NYTimes review of a film which could be 10 pages long.

Books – I used to say I don’t have the time anymore. I think it’s like riding a bike; starting with a novella sent to me recently (thanks zeb) I hope to return to reading actual books again. Nothing, in the way of entertainment, can beat a good old novel. Nothing.

@NewZen: Great theatre, great live music, great movies (fewer of them these day) rank up there with wonderful books, both fiction and non.

@gailcalled To you. I should have added “to me.”