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I have a hard time believing 54% did read a book. 18% of the U.S. population is functionally illiterate, and I don't know for you, I really don't feel like reading a book after I work the whole day at a computer.



> 18% of the U.S. population is functionally illiterate

N.B. This stat appears to pertain to English language literacy, not literacy per se. Some of those 18%ers might be reading Dante in the original Italian or Shakespeare in the original Klingon.


Yes perhaps .001%, or even .002% of that 18% have probably done that.


> Shakespeare in the original Klingon

citation needed


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Klingon_Hamlet


Hab SoSlI Quch.


I need it even more after all day on a computer. I need an off ramp for my brain to wind down. I read before bed every night. I honestly don’t understand how some don’t.


> I really don't feel like reading a book after I work the whole day at a computer.

Have you tried before spending your whole day at your computer?


Sadly, I agree with you.

Between work and kids it just has to go. I am also blessed with no sleeping problems which means that I fall asleep the moment i go to bed. I try to read at least one book per year during vacation.

I read so much when I was younger.

I am not certain I will get the habit back when I get older.


Same.

Can't say I miss it, either.

Reading a book at this stage in my life (busy with kids) feels self-indulgent and selfish.


Don't you allocate some time just for you? Labelling that as selfish seems very unhealthy.


Yet you are posting on HN :)

I try to read some of the books my kids read, allows me to connect with them. They love talking about their books.


For me, reading a book requires more time and focus than posting on HN.


Or could it could instil good habits in your children? Obviously looking after/active okay with kids is better, but I don’t see it being selfish to also enjoy yourself and encourage a valuable hobby in them too. It’s hard being a parent, make time for things you enjoy too!


Why not read with your kids?


What a ridiculous and sad thing to post.


And yet, you gotta take time for yourself, too, lest you burn out.


Same. As with all self-reported data, expected some lying shame-driven responses.

I also found myself having a lot less time to read after having a child. I've only started again this year because I feel like doomscrolling in bed is not the best way to fall asleep.


I used to read quite often, in the days before YouTube and internet. I still read a lot online, but it's not the same experience as getting deeply absorbed in a book for a few hours.

These days I'll often read a book or two on vacation, but not always.


I have a curated list of books from Gutenberg on my phone and read them when I have 20 min to spare. Works really well. Sure I also spend hours just reading every now and then, sure I do not read many books but a lot more than two per vacation.

I've actively come back to this way of reading books the last 15 years, the key is to make it easy to read books and not having any notifications.


I’m pretty sure my father, a baby boomer, never read a SINGLE book after high school. Same with my mother.

This is a perennial observation about general illiteracy in the US but who was even alive when this wasn’t the case? lol

Fahrenheit 451 is a 70 year old book complaining about this exact problem.


I was in a computer program in high-school which required good grades to be in and some teenagers would just pretend to read the books and get a synopsis online. I wouldn't be surprised if they literally never read a book in their whole life. And those were not dumb or illiterate people.


I especially feel like reading a book after all day at the computer! That being said, there’s not always time for it.




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