Kids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even in English Class

Post by SubmarineClub » Sun, Dec 14, 2025, 3:31 PM UTC

squigz wrote: post #104

corimaith wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The writing quality and complexity of amateur content, even long-form is only around the level of a YA novel, truth be told alot of the stuff I was reading back in junior high in my school library had more depth than this. It's good that you can get people reading, but reading the equivalent of pulp is very different from real novel that isn't so bounded by tropes or genre limits.

Who cares? If people enjoy it, let them enjoy it. I've read a few YA novels as an adult that I enjoyed, even though I regularly read more complex stuff. Most people, for most of history, have only ever enjoyed what might be considered "low quality" entertainment - pulp fiction, shitty plays, etc. > real novel that isn't so bounded by tropes or genre limits. Interestingly, even discounting YA and other stuff like that…

Post by idontwantthis » Sun, Dec 14, 2025, 3:36 PM UTC

spicyusername wrote: post #115

I never understand where these anecdotes come from. I live in a rural Red State, a place you'd expect less reading, and my kids, and many of their friends, read full books all the time and have since they were quite young. The curriculum in our public school regularly requires kids to read full books for class, and the kids you'd expect from the homes you'd expect read plenty. So whatever the problem is, if there eve…

Post by BeFlatXIII » Sun, Dec 14, 2025, 3:38 PM UTC

idle_zealot wrote: post #37

stevewodil wrote: post #4

I don’t know if this matters much. When I was in school it was rare to actually read a book assignment anyways, and I’m sure with LLMs now it’s less. I’ve started to have a positive association with reading only in the last few years, I wish schools didn’t force books onto children and make them think they hate reading for their whole lives.

> I wish schools didn’t force books onto children and make them think they hate reading for their whole lives The problem is that if you don't force them, they never actually become literate enough to discover that reading is fun later in life.

Post by TitaRusell » Sun, Dec 14, 2025, 3:41 PM UTC

squigz wrote: post #104

corimaith wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The writing quality and complexity of amateur content, even long-form is only around the level of a YA novel, truth be told alot of the stuff I was reading back in junior high in my school library had more depth than this. It's good that you can get people reading, but reading the equivalent of pulp is very different from real novel that isn't so bounded by tropes or genre limits.

Who cares? If people enjoy it, let them enjoy it. I've read a few YA novels as an adult that I enjoyed, even though I regularly read more complex stuff. Most people, for most of history, have only ever enjoyed what might be considered "low quality" entertainment - pulp fiction, shitty plays, etc. > real novel that isn't so bounded by tropes or genre limits. Interestingly, even discounting YA and other stuff like that…

Post by BeFlatXIII » Sun, Dec 14, 2025, 3:43 PM UTC

gambiting wrote: post #50

cogman10 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do you just write in block capitals? Block capitals? no. It's print. With upper and lowercase letters. I rarely handwrite now. The last time I really did was in college. > But....It still is? Without using some kind of machine of course. But of course this is HN where most people are technical. We all have some sort of machine at our disposal otherwise we'd not be writing back and forth to one another.

>>It's print. With upper and lowercase letters. So like.......not linking the letters together then? Doesn't that just actually take more effort than just writing cursive? And is slower? >>But of course this is HN where most people are technical. For sure, and as a professional programmer I keep a notebook with hand written notes - the fact that I have a keyboard and multiple monitors in front of me doesn't change th…