TheGhostWhoWalks
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
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In short: Yes I read. In fact, I probably split my time up equally between reading (mostly fiction and poetry, but a lot of criticism and other non-fiction stuff as well), listening to music, watching films, writing, and playing poker (my job). Lately I've been obsessed with John Donne, and by now I have three editions of his poems and about four or five books of criticism (I especially recommend Desiring Donne).
In long: I think if you're basing the "people aren't reading" theory on the emptiness of libraries and the shutting down of bookstores then you're not getting the whole picture. Remember that we live in a digital age, and things like Kindle, the internet, iPads, Amazon, etc. have made it possible to read without ever stepping foot in time a library or a B&M store. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to the library or visited a bookstore. I stopped the latter because they almost never had what I was looking for (though I used to frequently check out their books on Shakespeare), and I generally find it much more comfortable to buy books and read them whenever I get the time, rather than being rushed to read them in a few weeks (I also frequently like to read multiple books at a time so I don't get too bored with any one).
One thing to consider about the internet is that it's not just bits of information anymore, but you can actually access entire books (often for free!) online. It maybe because my eyes have adjusted to viewing a screen better than pages, but I find I can speed read and comprehend much better when reading online than in books. I think part of it is because of ease, the ability to just click and go to a chapter, the ability to type ctrl+f to find a passage, the ability to double-click on a word and see the definition (this is a handy add-on for those with Firefox), etc. I tend to find reading physical books cumbersome anymore, and I tend to only do so when there's no equivalent available online.
As for lazy students, I wonder if that's really much of a new phenomenon. I also think that the internet (in general) has made it infinitely easier for students to study and (sadly) cheat without having to pour in a ton of time. I never went to college precisely because I've always been much more comfortable studying on my own without worrying about tests and papers and all of that. It also just so happens that I seem to know a heck of a lot more than all of my friends and relatives that are college graduates (go figure).
In long: I think if you're basing the "people aren't reading" theory on the emptiness of libraries and the shutting down of bookstores then you're not getting the whole picture. Remember that we live in a digital age, and things like Kindle, the internet, iPads, Amazon, etc. have made it possible to read without ever stepping foot in time a library or a B&M store. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to the library or visited a bookstore. I stopped the latter because they almost never had what I was looking for (though I used to frequently check out their books on Shakespeare), and I generally find it much more comfortable to buy books and read them whenever I get the time, rather than being rushed to read them in a few weeks (I also frequently like to read multiple books at a time so I don't get too bored with any one).
One thing to consider about the internet is that it's not just bits of information anymore, but you can actually access entire books (often for free!) online. It maybe because my eyes have adjusted to viewing a screen better than pages, but I find I can speed read and comprehend much better when reading online than in books. I think part of it is because of ease, the ability to just click and go to a chapter, the ability to type ctrl+f to find a passage, the ability to double-click on a word and see the definition (this is a handy add-on for those with Firefox), etc. I tend to find reading physical books cumbersome anymore, and I tend to only do so when there's no equivalent available online.
As for lazy students, I wonder if that's really much of a new phenomenon. I also think that the internet (in general) has made it infinitely easier for students to study and (sadly) cheat without having to pour in a ton of time. I never went to college precisely because I've always been much more comfortable studying on my own without worrying about tests and papers and all of that. It also just so happens that I seem to know a heck of a lot more than all of my friends and relatives that are college graduates (go figure).
I try to keep a healthy mix of fiction vs non-fiction, though lately I've been reading much more non-fiction and there are 4 more non-fiction books in the queue... I'll have to pause in between them for something light and funny, perhaps something by Christopher Moore. 
