Study in my country: boys+games=zero will to read books

[Roofstone]

I play games each day. (I am from Norway) Yet I still read almost each day too, and read 412 words each minute. That was two years ago, dunno what it is now.

I played more games then by the way. Thanks to my surprising amount of free time.

 

[MagicMouse]

Every male gamer (not the COD type) who I have ever met has read a lot more than the average person.

 

[Le_Lisra]

While I never lived in Norway (learned my Norwegian like a good foreign-born citizen in a state sponsored evening school lead by.. my mum) I can speak for Germany, where the study was equally unkind.

I have played games since I was 6 years old and have always exceeded in school without any effort whatsoever. I have read more books than finished games and own hundreds.. so much for generalizations, eh?

I blame TV myself.

 

[Hosker]

Well this sounds completely ridiculous.. I have one of the highest gamerscores on my friends list but still read 6+ books a month.

The problem I see is how expensive books are relative to their popularity...

I love books, but I'm reluctant to spend £12 on one, when something brilliant like Mogworld was released for £5.

I usually find that they're about £8, except for hardbacks. And cheaper still if you get them off the internet. I have always thought that books are reasonably priced.

 

[Hosker]

When they say literary appreciation are they talking about dreck such as Shakespeare or dreck such as Twilight? Because I have never known a study to take into account that most books are UTTER CRAP.

Hell for the longest time the greatest literary work that I read was Green Eggs and Ham, and this is from a guy whose bookcase took up a whole wall in his bedroom.

This reminds me of something my English teacher once told me when going off on a tangent about Baudelaire: "If something is really unpopular, then it's a great work of literature." Now, she really knows her stuff when it comes to English literature, and I can see where she was coming from considering a lot of poets and writers like Baudelaire were despised during their time but adored centuries later, but then it occured to me: Twilight.

If what she says is true, then Twilight is the Holy Grail of English literature.

Twilight is one of the most popular book series around, even with the masses of people who hate it.

 

[Sorafrosty]

Isn't this really just making assumptions about what causes what? I'm pretty sure most young boys aren't interested in reading books in their spare time. Most young boys also will have picked up a game at some point in their lives. I don't think it was gaming that made them disinterested in reading; if anything, it's that they'd just rather be out doing other stuff. When they do have free time, sure, they'll probably either spend it with TV or with a game before going to bed.

I"m a girl, so this study doesn't really apply to me.

I'm a girl too, and so it does not apply to me either, but I still feel bad for the boys, what with the biggest newspaper in the country asking their parents to get them books for Christmas (well, if they want books, I guess it's fine, but if they wanted a particular game). I also don't agree with what the so-called experts say, the whole 'gaming causes less reading'. They may just have targeted it at guys because statistically in my country girls read more, but I must say, I learned much of my English and reading speed from games... I also read every book I get my hands on, but again, I'm a girl, so the study does not apply to me...

 

[T-Bone24]

The only reason that I was so good at reading when I was about 6 was because of games. Seriously, I kicked serious arse at reading. All thanks to games. So bollocks to this.

 

[El Poncho]

I think a lot of kids associate reading with the books they are given in school which they very rarely like. I haven't met a lot of people in my school who said they actually liked reading the book in English.

I hardly picked up a book before last year where I decided to get into Teryy Pratchett and I think I have read a book every day from then, even if it was only for half an hour.

 

[Kiefer13]

What utter nonsense.

I'm a massive fan of both games and reading. This is just another attempt to use games as a scapegoat. In fact, I'm one of the most enthusiastic readers I know, while also being one of the most avid gamers. These "experts" clearly have no idea what they are talking about.

 

[ComicsAreWeird]

Faulty research. Plenty of people read and play videogames, including kids.

 

[oveper]

Somehow I think this has more to do with the books they force us to read in school and less to do with videogames.

 

[Numachuka]

I am a boy. I play video games. I also enjoy a good book now and then. Proves that studies will never show the whole truth.

 

[Sorafrosty]

Kids often don't like reading. It requires a lot more work as an art form. This is regardless of games.

What is happening is that children are getting their narrative stimulation from movies and video games instead. And that's fine. Though it would be great if more kids read, the point is that stories are important to culture, and they have to experience narrative. That happens in good film, good television, and good games. Though kids should learn to appreciate literature, it is hardly a bad thing that they are also appreciating film and interactive narrative.

Very true. Not a bad thing to play games and watch movies to appreciate good stories and narrative! I remember when my sister read to me before I could read myself, and she told me to close my eyes and visualize what happened. Do you think that if children are read to, they'll appreciate literature when they grow up?

 

[AnAngryMoose]

When they say literary appreciation are they talking about dreck such as Shakespeare or dreck such as Twilight? Because I have never known a study to take into account that most books are UTTER CRAP.

Hell for the longest time the greatest literary work that I read was Green Eggs and Ham, and this is from a guy whose bookcase took up a whole wall in his bedroom.

This reminds me of something my English teacher once told me when going off on a tangent about Baudelaire: "If something is really unpopular, then it's a great work of literature." Now, she really knows her stuff when it comes to English literature, and I can see where she was coming from considering a lot of poets and writers like Baudelaire were despised during their time but adored centuries later, but then it occured to me: Twilight.

If what she says is true, then Twilight is the Holy Grail of English literature.

Twilight is one of the most popular book series around, even with the masses of people who hate it.

Forgot it had a fanbase... Oh well.

 

[darth gditch]

Redacted

I'm American, and yes, people come to the conclusion that playing video games reduces the will to read, but in my experience, a lack of desire to learn is the true culprit. I know sooooooooo many non-gamers, and people who don't ever play video games who never read anything other than magazines because they don't find books fun. Books don't give instant gratification, so they are ignored. I myself love to read and I read a whole lot of different books, from the classics to fantasy to graphic novels to technical reports.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

As I am the nerdiest of my friends when it comes to both video games and literature, I don't think the link is as simple as the title suggests. I've been known to plow through classics in a weekend, and I tend to read at least one book a week on a subject I haven't seen before.

 

[Oliman43]

Its a lie. All my friends who are gamers read far more than some other people I know who aren't.

 

[Macrobstar]

well my book shelf is definately bigger than my game shelf sooo

 

[Del-Toro]

Well, the scientists in your country are wrong. I play video games, and I also read a lot. In fact, video games are part of the reason I read. I know all the shit about World War 2, guess what first piqued my interest in them.

 

[Weslebear]

To be frank I do know a lot of people like that, disregarding books for other media. I however adore books and games and do know a few others around me just the same. However it is more common here to be less literate, which is such a huge shame.