I found this graph on the blog The Home Is Where The Books Are. I don't believe this graph. I mean it would be nice to think that I was so special that I was one of only 1% of readers that reads books out outside of the Harry Potter and Twilight series. I could believe that 34% of people are not recreational readers but the rest of the numbers.....don't believe them. If this was the case how would bookstores stay in business? How could the Kindle or other e-readers be such a hit? I know that many of you blog readers are also bloggers as well and readers of books. What do you think about these numbers?
10 comments:
Interesting...I have never read any of the Harry Potter books. When I was working, I never took the time to read novels. I always had so much to read for work and professional development.
I can't believe it either. I have read Harry Potter but am now reading Jack London stories.
don't know where they got their data but those numbers are ridiculous! my husband and i are both avid readers and so are many of our friends, and i don't think any of them read the books that have the highest numbers here. perhaps this info comes from students, since a lot say they only read for school, and even that would be hard to believe. so like you, i do not believe this survey's results, not for the general population anyway.
hope you and ned are well.
teresa in lake stevens
Did the graph indicate the age group? If it is for teenagers, I suspect the answer may be correct. I did an informal survey of our church teenagers at church one Christmas not long ago. None of them read books -- other than what they were required to read at school. None. What we may be seeing is the face of the future. And it is a rather blank face.
then again steve, when i was in high school i wasn't much of a reader. actually, it wasn't till after college that i started reading for pleasure, so hopefully, that is not the face of the future. i agree that this seems to be a survey done on teenagers or even college aged students-defintely not the general population, as i said earlier.
teresa in l.s.
For all 4 of my kids, regardless of sex, this was true from ages 6 through 10. :) The 16 and 14 yos now read "adult" literature and the 11yo loves historical fiction. The 9yo is still deeply entrenched in HP. :)
Oops I didn't read it very well. None of us know what Twilight is (time travel?) so for our family the graph would be 100% HP (all green) (for ages 6 through 10)
Interesting -- although the sample isn't described (and the link is temporarily not available), the category "only reads books for school" suggests that this is indeed a survey of school-age people (as does the focus on Harry Potter and Twilight series).
Given that, I think the numbers probably are an accurate representation.
And, in that case, I find these results encouraging: over 60% of those surveyed DO READ books, albeit a limited selection! I wouldn't be surprised if the number of out-of-school readers was lower immediately prior to the Harry Potter phenomenon, but that's just a guess.
Yes, I think that there are probably fewer dedicated readers among young people today than when I was young -- late 50s and 60s -- but there is also a lot more competition for non-outdoor free time -- computers & video games, a broader range of TV shows, and perhaps more scheduled activities (something that probably reflects the parent's desire to keep their kids busy, but could cut into the time that kids might have otherwise been sitting around with their noses in books).
Sure, I read a lot when I was young (and still do), but I was also considered a "bookworm", which even then, was a bit pejorative.
Not sure if they are just trying to be funny. I have read both the Harry Potter books and Twilight, but I've also read all of Michael Crichton and all of Anne Rice, and Jane Austen, and many, many more. I love to read a lot.
Interesting comments and I appreciate them all. You are right we do not know who is the base of these numbers and it might be school age children. Also mcm, I had not thought about all the stuff that competes with reading now although all that stuff is probably what is sending me back to reading more books rather than watching TV and such.
Okay, I need to go finish up a book that, after reading The Power of the Dog, seems so light and self-centered that it has been hard to stay engaged.
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