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Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

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Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#21

Post by hckr_news »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #14
eberkund wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is a source: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-dec... It seems like OP is accurate in their assessment, it's surprising to see how many people read ZERO books in the preceding year.

I've probably read zero books in the preceding year. But I have the internet and I can access rich content at my fingertips on topics I care to educate myself on in a way that wasn't possible when I was a child. I use this to do things like say to my 32 year old son "I'm having X health issue. I recall reading something about (y health topic). Please see if x and y are related and if there is something I can do about…

> I eat a Reese's Cup and my agonizing, incapacitating pain drops dramatically to bearable levels.

That’s strange. Pain from low blood sugar?

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#22

Post by hckr_news »

quotz wrote: post #15
ridhwaan wrote: post #3

Our culture is moving or has already moved away from a reading culture. Instead of spending free time reading, people watch Netflix, Youtube, TikTok etc. I think that has huge consequences on human behavior. Where as once people would read the newspaper and be able to think about what is happening in the world, people today scroll through their feed where in one instant they are reading an article about war crimes in…

I would like to mention Paul Graham's essay Acceleration of Addictiveness http://www.paulgraham.com/addiction.html

Slight tangent but somewhat related. The amount of damage mobile phones and the tech industry have done on the human mind has been extremely understated. These hits of dopamine aren’t free. There’s a massive cost. Loss of privacy aside, the next battle has to be addressing the addiction of these platforms/devices and what it means for humans going forward.

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#23

Post by DoreenMichele »

hckr_news wrote: post #21
DoreenMichele wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've probably read zero books in the preceding year. But I have the internet and I can access rich content at my fingertips on topics I care to educate myself on in a way that wasn't possible when I was a child. I use this to do things like say to my 32 year old son "I'm having X health issue. I recall reading something about (y health topic). Please see if x and y are related and if there is something I can do about…

> I eat a Reese's Cup and my agonizing, incapacitating pain drops dramatically to bearable levels. That’s strange. Pain from low blood sugar?

It was a pituitary thing. Peanuts are high in all the nutrients your pituitary needs, iirc.

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#24

Post by kgwgk »

hckr_news wrote: post #20
roosterdawn wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> people today scroll through their feed where in one instant they are reading an article about war crimes in South America committed by the U.S. and in the next instant what Kylie Jenner wore to the MET gala Doesn't this completely invalidate your argument? If it's that much easier for folks to read an article about war crimes in South America committed by the US and the next about Kylie Jenner at a gala, how is tha…

I think the point he’s trying to make is people are reading, but reading blurbs and tweets, rather than long form content like a book or an essay piece. Similar to eating fast food as it’s readily available, accessible, quick instead of choosing a more wholesome meal with good benefits.

In that case, he could have said "a book" rather than "the newspaper".

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#25

Post by michrassena »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #17
the_af wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about reading Dr. Seuss (or similar books), where the goal is not to access rich content or solve a problem? Where there is no goal other than to enjoy a book? I agree with you there's all sorts of useful and interesting internet content that's not reading crap on facebook. There's even literary discourse on the internet! But what about books? Reading actual books is different.

I've read lots of books in my life. There's nothing wrong with reading books if that's something you wish to do. But not reading books doesn't mean you don't have an intellectual life and spending your entire day futzing around on the internet does not mean your brain is clearly and unarguably going to rot. That's all I'm trying to say.

I sometimes am bothered with how reading, or reading books in particular is used as a proxy for that intellectual life. A significant proportion of anything ever published is absolute drivel and is no better than whatever proxy we wish to compare with reading, like reality television.

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#26

Post by DoreenMichele »

michrassena wrote: post #25
DoreenMichele wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've read lots of books in my life. There's nothing wrong with reading books if that's something you wish to do. But not reading books doesn't mean you don't have an intellectual life and spending your entire day futzing around on the internet does not mean your brain is clearly and unarguably going to rot. That's all I'm trying to say.

I sometimes am bothered with how reading, or reading books in particular is used as a proxy for that intellectual life. A significant proportion of anything ever published is absolute drivel and is no better than whatever proxy we wish to compare with reading, like reality television.

While I agree with you (that a lot of books are no better than the internet content and TV shows we decry so often as unintellectual), the other side of the coin is that one person's drivel is another person's necessary information. A lot of entertainment addresses deep topics as "humor" that are too uncomfortable to talk about via other pathways.

When I was a child, I read a lot of comics. I also was one of the top students at school.

The mother of a same-age friend didn't want him reading comics because it was drivel. She wanted him to be one of the smart kids and wanted him reading important stuff.

My mother told her one day "What do you care if he reads comics? He's at least reading if he's reading comics."

I don't know if that helped my friend. I don't know if his mother changed her policy. But it sure as hell stuck with me all these years and it's been probably 47 years ago or something like that.

If I'm one of the smart kids, you can credit my mother's policy of letting me read drivel because it was at least reading.

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#27

Post by derrick_jensen »

ridhwaan wrote: post #3

Our culture is moving or has already moved away from a reading culture. Instead of spending free time reading, people watch Netflix, Youtube, TikTok etc. I think that has huge consequences on human behavior. Where as once people would read the newspaper and be able to think about what is happening in the world, people today scroll through their feed where in one instant they are reading an article about war crimes in…

Podcasts are getting pretty popular as well. I think just in terms of sheer available time to listen versus watching videos, podcasts could gain a sizeable market share.

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#28

Post by User23 »

DoreenMichele wrote: post #14
eberkund wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is a source: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-dec... It seems like OP is accurate in their assessment, it's surprising to see how many people read ZERO books in the preceding year.

I've probably read zero books in the preceding year. But I have the internet and I can access rich content at my fingertips on topics I care to educate myself on in a way that wasn't possible when I was a child. I use this to do things like say to my 32 year old son "I'm having X health issue. I recall reading something about (y health topic). Please see if x and y are related and if there is something I can do about…

And how’s not reading books working out for you?

Most information on the Internet is observably crap. The thing about books, especially books that have managed to remain in print for a long time, is that they contain considerably less crap than a well curated set of websites.

The old way is in fact superior because it is Lindy.

Re: Reading Got Farm Women Through the Depression

#30

Post by DoreenMichele »

User23 wrote: post #28
DoreenMichele wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've probably read zero books in the preceding year. But I have the internet and I can access rich content at my fingertips on topics I care to educate myself on in a way that wasn't possible when I was a child. I use this to do things like say to my 32 year old son "I'm having X health issue. I recall reading something about (y health topic). Please see if x and y are related and if there is something I can do about…

And how’s not reading books working out for you? Most information on the Internet is observably crap. The thing about books, especially books that have managed to remain in print for a long time, is that they contain considerably less crap than a well curated set of websites. The old way is in fact superior because it is Lindy.

I'm getting well when doctors claim that can't be done. In the process, I've avoided an estimated $9.5 million dollars in medical expenses.

I've gotten myself off the street and back into housing without going through some kind of homeless program.

Because I already do remote work to accommodate my medical handicap, lock down during the pandemic only lightly impacted my life. It was mostly business as usual for me, even though I'm a dirt poor writer, not a well-heeled programmer.

I'm reasonably satisfied with the results I'm getting, though I'm currently broke and don't know where my next dollar is coming from and that aspect of my life continues to aggravate the fool out of me.

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