Americans are reading fewer books for less time. People want to know why
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5298185/americans-are-reading-fewer-books-for-less-time-people-want-to-know-why
Americans are reading fewer books for less time. People want to know why
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5298185/americans-are-reading-fewer-books-for-less-time-people-want-to-know-why
26 Comments
Who has time for the luxury of indulging in a good book when we have to work extra to keep up with rising costs of living coupled with stagnant wages?
Because people are listening to inane podcasts more. They want to be told what to think, how to feel, etc. Books give you space to think, digest and contemplate.
Isn’t the answer obvious? The brain rot caused by the Trump administration(s) is catching on.
Look at the all distractions we have. Like come on
More options in media, less attention span due to media being increasingly compressed into 30 second bits.
54% of them have the reading comprehension of 12 year olds. It’s bleak out here
Nobody has time because they have to have 2 jobs to survive. This isn’t rocket science
Less time to read books, more stress which makes reading unenjoyable. There are far more ways to consume content now as well, video games, shows, movies, audiobooks, YouTube, etc.
People are tuning into Joe Rogan rather than reading 1984 and Fahrenheit 451.
Literacy & just passing kids who don’t actually meet the criteria
Without listening to the report, no offense but I’m not sure and lies of people don’t always say audio books equals reading books. If they are equal I’m up by 4 over other years.
Idiocracy is becoming more realistic and we’re gong to need a president to say Luke Wilson’s campaign line:
“There was a time when reading wasn’t just for fags.”
Probably listening to just as many books. Since we are in a multitask moment, its been hard to sit down and just read a book. Typically people are walking, active, working out etc
That’s a bummer. I love reading and try to read at least two books a month
Aren’t book sales also going up thanks to book tok?
Attention span has been destroyed by social media and mobile devices. It seems pretty simple to me.
I don’t have much time to read, but I do like audiobooks. With those I at least listen to 1-2 books a week while driving or exercising
https://youtu.be/ULI3x8WIxus?si=2t00VhtOMJJIecpn
Marshall McLuhan saw this trend decades ago
The internet. The answer is the internet. It actually is those damn phones. They’re rotting our brains. The end.
Start counting video game books and I bet you’d find more. I read entire novels in video games.
We wonder why as we scroll past this article on our phones.
Social media has destroyed everyone’s attention span.
literally every other form of media is more engaging. most people typically don’t go for the more boring option of entertainment when deciding how to spend their ever-shrinking free time
Time. The key word, were working, or preparing for work
Folks are just plain exhausted and books cost money. If you are struggling with rent food and medical bills. They are a luxury. Literacy levels also in play.
There are more varied media offerings than ever before. Want to know about something? You could read a book. Or you could watch a YouTube channel or listen to a podcast. Or you could doom scroll for hours instead. Or play a videogame.
It wasn’t clear from the recording if audiobooks were included in the “reading” time. That has been a large shift in recent years and might skew results.
Honestly it is probably more an attention issue. People are getting used to being amused in 15 seconds or less. Hard to get them to hang on for 90,000 words.
I used to read every night before bed, but I’m on a new sleep medication that knocks me out in like 15 minutes.