46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023 • Hacker News Board

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#31

Post by dmalik » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:41 PM UTC

arnaudsm wrote: post #8

Why do we obsess so much over legacy form factors? Watching movies, listening to 2h conference talks, playing a 60h narrative videogame, and reading scientific papers in PDF may not be as noble, but they are equally meaningful to me.

I assume that of that 46% most aren't reading papers or watching good informative YouTube. They're likely doom scrolling social media or watching entertainment YouTube.

Movies and games are fine if you're comparing to fiction and just relaxing.

As someone who does all the things, reading (even listening to audio books) feels different to me. I get more out of it.

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#32

Post by netsharc » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:42 PM UTC

arnaudsm wrote: post #22

Extropy_ wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because most of the great intellectual works exist in these "legacy form factors."

Of the past yes, but what about the present and future?

It's all on Instagram and TikTok! /S

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#33

Post by arnaudsm » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:42 PM UTC

layer8 wrote: post #27

arnaudsm wrote: post #8

Why do we obsess so much over legacy form factors? Watching movies, listening to 2h conference talks, playing a 60h narrative videogame, and reading scientific papers in PDF may not be as noble, but they are equally meaningful to me.

Books are not a legacy form factor.

The article above is about their decline in consumption

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#34

Post by otachack » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:42 PM UTC

If anyone is struggling to read a book, I suggest short stories! A lot easier to ease back into it.

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#35

Post by layer8 » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:42 PM UTC

arnaudsm wrote: post #33

layer8 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Books are not a legacy form factor.

The article above is about their decline in consumption

So? “Declining in consumption” doesn’t imply “legacy”, or even vice versa.

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#36

Post by voidfunc » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:42 PM UTC

I'm part of this club, actually I haven't read a book in about a decade and a half. _shrug_

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#37

Post by Mistletoe » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:43 PM UTC

And I think a large percentage of the 54% are lying because they are embarrassed to say it. Very few of the people I know read any books at all.

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#38

Post by bmitc » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:44 PM UTC

I don't fully place the blame on people. Lack of investment in edication and infrastructure and other social support structures means people are robbed of time, relaxation, stress free financial and healthcare situations, etc. There's also addictions to smarphones, tablets, and video games due to lax regulation and unbridled capitalism.

The lack of reading is a symptom.

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#39

Post by lapcat » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:44 PM UTC

arnaudsm wrote: post #8

Why do we obsess so much over legacy form factors? Watching movies, listening to 2h conference talks, playing a 60h narrative videogame, and reading scientific papers in PDF may not be as noble, but they are equally meaningful to me.

> reading scientific papers in PDF

How many people are reading scientific papers but zero books?

Re: 46% of Americans didn't read a book in 2023

#40

Post by dvt » Sat, Feb 10, 2024, 4:44 PM UTC

I'm not sure how I feel about conflating audio-book consumption with reading. In my experience, when I listen to a book it goes in one ear and out the other; any studies that show information retention between the two?