Are the teenagers still reading books?

[Alexa12345]

Because now is said that they don't, because of the Inernet. Did the taste for a book dissapeared?

[Just Me]

not at all! teenagers read books and they always did, at least all the teens I know read almost non-stop

[oloroso36]

I was listening to a podcast of The Next Chapter, a CBC program hosted by Shelagh Rogers, the subject of which was YA writing. She had a panel of 3 15 years olds, 2 from Toronto, 1 from Newfoundland. They assured the listening public that teens are reading, they just may not be reading YA. They, like adults I would venture, do not like their books to be labelled. They felt that most teens they knew were reading fiction in general, not just YA.

So I'm hopeful that teens are still reading.

[PhotonicGuy]

I am hopeful too that they are still reading. Generally I stay away from the generalizations, but I guess now, the teenagers prefer the information taken from the Internet rather than a good book.

[dragonheart]

I'm a teen, and many of my friends and I read a lot. They don't read many YA novels, but generally lean towards the general fiction and adult novels.

[Hikkomijian]

As always It depends from individual person. Personally I don't know many teenagers who read books, but statistically there are as many of them as it was in previous generation.

[bluefoxicy]

Because now is said that they don't, because of the Inernet. Did the taste for a book dissapeared?

No, teenagers read books; they stop when they turn 18.

See here's how it works:

First, you make the student read a book.

Then you make them write a report.

Then you make the student read another book.

Write another report.

Read a third book.

Take them to portable book stores instead of feeding them lunch.

Write more reports.

Now tell them they have to independently read two books during their weeks off over the summer.

Write another book report.

Now repeat this about 8-10 times, until they graduate. Dictate most of the books they're supposed to read. When they're allowed to chose one, give them a list of about 20 approved books.

Catcher in the Rye was a good book; it didn't interest me, I wouldn't read it if I had to suffer through it again.

Tale of Two Cities was garbage. I didn't read it. I faked my tests, wrote random answers. The teacher let us ask 10 questions before each test, and if we asked a test question we got to keep the answer she gave; I cheated, used subtle psychic abilities to get 6-8 questions answered that way and intuited the rest.

Lord of the Rings... Tolkien is a crap writer. I respect Donaldson for his command of the language; I respect Chadbourn for his command of the language; I respect Rowling for her ability to write on a lower reading level, yet write well enough to not be mind-numbing tripe that confirms the author was drooling all over herself when she wrote it (both in the breadth of vocabulary and in its effective use). Tolkien is too dry. I finished half the book and gave up.

To Kill a Mockingbird... often attacked because it uses the word "******" too many times. I disagree with censoring the story. I disagree with reading it too, because it's too god damn boring.

Tom Sawyer, too god damn boring.

Huck Finn, too god damn boring.

Animal Farm, too infantile and abstract.

Lord of the Flies, not particularly exciting... and we had to read that in 3 different grade levels!

This is the sh*t they wanted us to read, they made us read, they forced us to read. No, we didn't read Wells. No, we didn't read truly great Orwell like 1984. No, we didn't read obscure fantasy or Sci-Fi like Donaldson, or Anne McAffrey, or Heinlein. We read a few classic Mark Twain selections... Lord of the Rings... Lord of the Flies... you know, the standard selection.

I've checked out a few of the lists for Summer Reading 2010, they include mostly "Classic fiction" and non-fiction; although middle school lists seem to tend towards having a lot of political books (like an Al Gore book about how we can stop global warming). Cat's Cradle (the only scifi I've seen on any) I have to read some time. I know how it goes, though it doesn't seem particularly interesting to me. There's a piece of knowledge there I need to fill out is all; actually I was reflecting on it this morning.

So mainly pure garbage; just reading the descriptions of most of these books makes me cringe.

Is it any wonder I didn't start reading until 2 months ago? Never mind that I strongly value other forms of story telling that falls out of political favor (I like deep-story video games.. Sigma Star Saga, Final Fantasy Tactics, Xenosaga, Tales of Symphonia... hell, Tales of anything, they're all deep-story ... some of the Final Fantasy games have a really deep story, some more near-miss). Hell, Babylon 5 and Enterprise struck me as good stories (Enterprise was more favored by me for its implementation; Babylon 5 tried to stick more to the American failure of packing full conflict-resolution cycles into half an hour).

Teenagers are reading books and they shouldn't be. Once they escape the evil mommy of the public school system, they'll be so glad about not having broccoli manually shoved down their throats that they'll never touch the stuff again.

[laci_baby]

Okay, bluefoxicy, i have to admit everything you wrote really, pardon my english, but it really p*ssed me off. It sounds like you judged the books before you even gave them a chance! Maybe if you would have had an open mind about the CLASSIC books that you were given, you would have actually enjoyed it. Im not saying that everyone enjoys every classic book they read, but come on. You just basically, again excuse me, sh*t on all the books you just mentioned. And i can assure you that none of those books, or authors, deserved that. If you didnt like the books, fine, but who the heck do you think you are that you can talk like that! It was for school, you disliked it, i get it. But everyones had to read books they didnt want to, its part of life. Suck it up, except it and grow the hell up. Because i assure you that just because you prefer games over books doesnt make you as cool as you think you are. I swear, it's kids like you that make me terrified for the next generation. And i cant help but wonder why in the heavens are you even on a BOOK forum when not only do you not enjoy books, but all you do is complain?

As for the actual question, as far as i can tell, thankfully, they are still reading.

[oloroso36]

bluefoxicy's post, too damn boring.

[~Elle~]

I'd like to think readers will always be readers - and that non-readers will always stay that way. I'd also like to believe that children who discover the joy of reading early on will develop a lifelong passion and will continue to read in their teens, when they're adults, and for the rest of their life.

As for bluefoxicy, people like you are sadly the product of the schooling system. Not your fault though. Blame the schools, though, not the books. I myself HATED churning out those book reports and I must admit it made reading a chore. Which was why I dropped English Literature during the last year of school - and I can say I don't regret it one bit. Ahhhh...now I can actually read and ENJOY books instead of having to dissect them to death and have someone else judge my opinion on them, also, it's okay not to like some of them, but it's also okay to LOVE some of them. So bluefoxicy, why don't you leave the past behind and open your heart to some of those books? Maybe you will too.

[TIGERSPRITE]

Though bluefoxicy's post also annoys me to no end, to return to the topic, yes, teenagers are still reading books. I myself am a testament to that. In school, there are still those quiet ones (like myself) who read often, and there are others who do it occasionally, maybe when they tire of their games and other trivial pursuits. It is true there are those who don't read, but I can easily tell you that there is no teenager who does not read because they do not like books. The one who do not read, may not do so because they imagine their friends would label them nerds or geeks, or in the case of my brother, because they are more actively interested in video games and new technology. My brother only reads when he is taken in by the hype of a novel, like when the final Harry Potter book came out he read it, both because of the hype and because he wanted to beat my reading speed (he didn't, he can't read a 700 page book in a day and a half), and when they were going to make a Percy Jackson movie (he read the whole series, but we were both disappointed in the rubbish movie).
Teenagers DO read.

[Hikkomijian]

Bluefoxicy, you call some games deep-story and at the same moment you say Tolkien is crap writer? Apparently you don't know that unless Tolkien wrote his books, the fantasy could be completely different. He is known as "The Father of the Fantasy", and his books are classic (besides I really value them).
I often consider that I waist my time on some books, which I have to read, some of them are worth reading, but others should be only for interested people.
If we're talking about the school, for me the biggest absurd is to make students to consider someone's view.
In one of Gombrowicz books - "Ferdydurke" is this line:



"teacher: Today, explain and make clear to student why Slowacki rouses a adoration and a admiration in us. Why we cry with him reading his poems [...] Why? Thus, because Slowacki was a great poet. Walkiewicz, why?[..]
Walkiewicz: Because Slowacki was a great poet.
[...]
Teacher:Yes. [...]We love Slowacki because he was great poet.[...]
Galkiewicz:But i don't adore his poems at all. It doesn't amuse me, I can't read more than two lines. God, save me, how can it excite me when it doesn't.[...]
Teacher:How can it not excite you, when I explained, it does excite you."

Probable many teenagers don't like read books because of compulsory readings.

[smellymonkey]

I do agree that the school system has to take some credit in the fact that many teenagers do not read for leisure. I have taken Literature at GCSE and A-level and will be continuing it at a degree level this summer, however the education has continuously made reading a chore, it is much harder to read and book and enjoy it when you continuously have to read between the lines and search for hidden meanings that i don't even think the author intended. I and some of my friends have been able to put this aside, separating reading for enjoyment and reading for critical analysis however for many i think this is much harder and sometimes even impossible. The pressure of exams and the extent of them in the UK also has a lot to answer for.

Despite this studying literature in school enables people who are interested in reading the advantage of reading and discussing books that they may have not previously had thought about, for example how many people would have had the opportunity to read and appreciate Shakespeare if it had not been compulsory at school. And as for teenagers not reading although i would have to disagree with that statement i do believe that a large proportion become disinterested in reading at this time in there lives especially in our current society when there is a vast variety of activities that could easy be preferred. I was a big reader as a child and loss interest in my teens but in the last few years (i am now 19) have rediscovered my passion for literature.

Sorry my post was so long, hope it was some interest to someone!!

[PhotonicGuy]

I can’t not response to bluefoxicy. I will try not to blame anyone, but I guess that the fact that he didn’t like to read it is not only due to our educational system. He said that he didn’t start reading until 2 months ago…. Wow, it’s a little too late to start reading. I am a parent myself and I think that for a kid to like reading and to like books in general, you must cultivate this love for books from an early age. If he didn’t read anything until 2 months ago, it is normal that he doesn’t like to read, he didn’t learn to love a book and he doesn’t know how to find the beauty which detaches from a book.

[laci_baby]

Not necessarily PhotonicGuy. I didn't start reading until i was 17 and i read more than anyone i know. And, like me, my brother didnt get into books until just lately, and now his nose is in a book every chance he gets, and he's 26, married with 2 kids. I can't believe that its ever too late for somebody to start reading and love it. Im not saying it's anyones fault that they don't enjoy reading, or saying i disagree with you, but just merely making the point that thats not always true.