Why don’t people like to read?

 3 Facts I’ve Discovered:

1.    Many people dislike reading.

2.     Even when they read, their comprehension tends to be inefficient.

3.     Watching TV is often considered a more enjoyable form of entertainment.

 

1. Many people dislike reading

Why?

    Time and Effort: Reading requires active mental engagement, focus, and time, whereas other forms of media (like TV) are more passive and immediately rewarding.

    Digital Culture: With the rise of smartphones and short-form content like social media posts, reels, and tweets, people's attention spans have shortened, and they’ve become less accustomed to the patience required for reading long-form material.

    Negative Associations: For some, reading is associated with schoolwork, exams, or mandatory tasks, which can create a mental barrier to reading for pleasure.

Implications:

    Declining literacy rates or less exposure to critical thinking and creative imagination that reading fosters.

    Writers, educators, and publishers may need to adapt their content to align with shorter attention spans—e.g., bite-sized articles, visual storytelling, or summaries.

    There's a potential rise in alternative learning formats like audiobooks, videos, and interactive apps to meet people where they are.

 

2. Even when they read, their comprehension tends to be inefficient

Why?

    Skimming Habits: In the digital age, people often skim through content (headlines, bold text, summaries), which limits their ability to grasp deeper meanings or nuanced arguments.

    Overload of Information: The vast amount of content available today can make it harder for people to discern what's important, leading to fragmented or shallow understanding.

    Lack of Critical Thinking Practice: Education systems often focus on rote memorization rather than teaching comprehension, analysis, and synthesis skills.

Implications:

    A population with poor comprehension struggles with problem-solving, decision-making, and understanding complex issues.

    Authors and educators may need to adopt new techniques like multimodal learning (combining text with visuals and audio) to improve comprehension.

    This trend could reinforce misinformation or manipulation, as people may not critically evaluate the material they read.

 

3. Watching TV is often considered better entertainment

Why?

    Low Effort, High Reward: Watching TV provides immediate entertainment without the need for active effort, which appeals to people who are tired, busy, or disengaged.

    Visual and Emotional Impact: TV combines visuals, music, and storytelling to create emotionally engaging experiences that are easier to connect with than static text.

    Variety and Accessibility: With streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, there’s a vast variety of shows and genres readily available on-demand.

Implications:

    Society could prioritize entertainment over educational or thought-provoking material, leading to a less intellectually engaged population.

    There’s potential for the domination of visual media to reshape how stories and information are shared, prioritizing visual literacy over traditional text-based literacy.

    On the positive side, TV can be a powerful tool for education, awareness, and empathy if used strategically (e.g., documentaries, historical dramas).

How these trends are connected

The three points I’ve highlighted reveal a larger cultural shift: as people's preferences move toward instant gratification, passive consumption, and quick entertainment, traditional forms of engagement (like reading) may become less valued. However, this isn’t inherently negative—rather, it points to the need for adapting how information, education, and storytelling are delivered.

 © 2000-2025 Sieglinde W. Alexander. All writings by Sieglinde W. Alexander have a fife year copy right. Library of Congress Card Number: LCN 00-192742 ISBN: 0-9703195-0-9