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CountGrimthorpe t1_jddt36u wrote

Anecdotes by a person passing along more anecdotes is not the most convincing basis for an article.

Here’s a study that actually has some data behind it. Seems like there was a much larger drop in teens than preteens according to this data. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a big cause of declined reading is the increased curricular workload that is common nowadays. I know that when I’m tired and more busy I will rarely read for fun. Also, social media seems like it probably wouldn’t help reading rates, and I imagine/hope that kids aren’t getting on social media until their teens.

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cMeeber t1_jdezvvu wrote

I’ve always read a lot…because I love reading…but we also never had cable and never really had internet except in increments here and there. I think that definitely aided in how many books I read.

I’m definitely not one of those “phones bad…go outside” people…I can for sure see the upsides; I was just in another thread defending booktok. However, I can see how my own phone has affected my attention span…it definitely affects my reading as I’ll think of something, get on my phone, then I’ll forget about my book. Same with a show I’m watching. Up until like 2015 I didn’t have constant internet or a smart phone…so I’d have to look in a dictionary, then done, then back to the book or dvd. I was constantly thinking of posting things or looking up things because the option didn’t even exist.

I don’t want my future children to have their attention divided like that in their formative years. I know they’ll hate me…but they’re getting like jitterbug phones until they’re 18 lol.

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mysteryofthefieryeye t1_jdgitmr wrote

The actor Chris Pine was visibly upset at himself on a recent late night talk show; he was talking about how much he used to read until he got a smartphone. So now after a few years of having a phone, he wants to get rid of it.

I found it interesting that he couldn't overcome whatever addiction we have to our phones. So it's not just "us"!

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Feisty_Equipment5626 t1_jdgj86t wrote

Reading does wonders for one's spelling and vocabulary. Nevermind the dictionary. Context cues will help in many cases. Why say 'like' jitterbug phones? Try not using it. I love your thoughts and how you present them. Have a lovely life and enjoy it.

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cMeeber t1_jdhpgmv wrote

Because I don’t even know if jitterbug phones even exist anymore…so they’re getting something “like” a jitterbug smh. It’s pretty audacious for you to go around around telling people to “try not to use” certain parlance or online speaking trends just because you don’t. Not everyone is a grammar prescriptivist.

You know people don’t use double spaces to start a sentence anymore, right? How about you try not using them anymore?

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2023Goals2023 t1_jdfz14g wrote

I stopped reading when I immigrated to the USA and started highschool here. Went from barely any homework to hours of it every day. I stopped reading anything that wasn't assigned (and often didn't do assigned reading). My classes were either "college prep" and slow and mind-numbing, or honours/AP and very time consuming outside of school hours. In grade 11 I was in all AP, and have so many memories of my parent trying to get me to go to bed around 1AM before going to bed themself, and of my staying up hours after they did to do schoolwork and study. In grade 12 I did almost all College prep and dropped my AP math class halfway through the first semester so I wouldn't fail it. I had free time again but now hated school and was bored in my slow easy classes.

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PartyPorpoise t1_jdgc3gc wrote

Keep in mind that most high school students aren't taking on this kind of workload. I don't think it's a big factor here.

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2023Goals2023 t1_jdgldoy wrote

Of course they're not.

But splitting classes into easy and hard (and your school counselors, your family's finances and neighbourhood, your race, your sex, whether you're an immigrant and where from have a lot of influence on which one you're in) is very common. The boring easy classes and overly intense classes are both harmful in different ways. In "college prep" English we read Romeo and Julliet.... translated into modern English. Yes, that was as dull as it sounds. Classes moved slow and killed any potential interest in the subject.

EDIT: My understanding from kids I've tutored here is that before grade 9 classes aren't as split like they are in high school. I would guess kids who read more before high school are more likely to be part of the group in the higher level classes, and the workload is plenty to kill interest to read for fun

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PartyPorpoise t1_jdgg80w wrote

I don't think the majority of teens are dealing with heavy academic workloads. If you're not in AP classes you're probably not doing much.

I think the heavy drop in teens versus preteens probably has a lot to do with smartphones. Like, I figure teens are much more likely than preteens to have their own smartphones. And preteens with smartphones probably have more parental regulation than teens who have them.

I also figure it's a problem that feeds into itself. They're reading less as preteens, so they don't develop their reading skills as well as they could, and this causes them to lose interest in reading as they get older. People aren't going to enjoy reading if it's too difficult for them.

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