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Do teenagers still read books?


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I'd have to say that I think teenagers do still read books, as there's quite a few young adult series / books that are really, really popular right now. However, I went through a period when I was probably.. 16 and went through probably 21 where I didn't read nearly as much. I start driving at 16, and then it was that all my time was consumed with cheerleading and school.. then I started college and who has time to read anything other than class books then? Finally after I grad'd, I picked the habit back up, and haven't stopped since. I sincerely hope that most teenagers don't go through the same phase I did, but if some of them do, I can certainly relate and understand it. :)

 

Also, as another angle.. there are so many other sources of entertainment now that are available to teenagers. The internet, gaming, etc are much more prevalent now than when I was in my teens, and I think it distracts from the simple task of reading a good book sometimes.

 

Just my opinion. ;)

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I think that some read A LOT and then some don't read at all. I think maybe that there are no people anymore who read just a little, especially teenagers.

But the reason there are no-one under 35 in bookshops is quite simply that they order their books online. Like I do. I am still a few years under 35.

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I'm 19 and spend a lot of my time in book shops. I have to admit that for years I was only reading what I was told. Then when I was about 16/17 I started reading a book a week (ish). I think it's because my mam is a big book lover and passes all her great ones onto me. Then I started looking for myself.

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My son is 14 but in the same school year as you, Tiger, and he doesn't like reading despite me trying to encourage it. I've stopped now as I don't want to turn him off it altogether.

 

Oh, he'll read non-fiction until the cows come home but novels - nah! It's one of his targets at school but even that won't persuade him.

 

My daughter (11) reads but not as prolifically as I did as a child. I hope she doesn't go off it...

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Also, as another angle.. there are so many other sources of entertainment now that are available to teenagers. The internet, gaming, etc are much more prevalent now than when I was in my teens, and I think it distracts from the simple task of reading a good book sometimes.

 

Totally agree. :)

 

I keep on trying with Robbie and he has started buying books and Dad buys him a magazine every week to encourage him. But like Bethany said above, it is very hard to get teenagers to read when they have so much other entertainment to fill their time with.

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I always loved reading. I had phases where I might go off it for months, but I've always considered myself an avid reader. My parents were forever sticking books under the christmas tree, and telling relatives to buy us books :) I appreciated it though - you can get years of enjoyment of a book that costs €2.50 second hand. Much better value than many gifts.

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I also think that there are some parents who don't encourage their children to read - which is a bit sad really. I used to love going to the library on a Saturday morning with my parents and sisters, it allows families to spend some time together and is educational at the same time.

 

Me and my cousin were always at the library when we were in our early teens, either with my nana or on our own. It was a lot better than roaming the street causing trouble - and warmer :lol:.

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My mummy used to bring me home books when I was too little to go myself, I used to love that so much. It was much more fun to let mum pick me out books than do it myself. As I got older I went with her and always looked for her approval before I took a book out. She brought me Harry Potter before it was famous - I hated it, but you can see she has good taste - She brought me Inkheart and The Hobbit and Watership Down and all sorts. My brother and I used to swap books too - he is three years older so I was always trying to prove I could read his books too :lol:

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I read as a teenager, though not as much as I read now (when I have enough time!) but I remember me and my best friend were quite unique in our classroom by doing so. Our collegues always wondered why we read and found it very strange.

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I have 3 children, who were all encouraged, from a very early age to enjoy books, but when they reached their teens other hobbies and activities took over, it seemed there wasn`t time for reading for fun. However when they finished their schooling and started work, they started reading for enjoyment again. You won`t often find them in a bookshop though, they shop for their books online. :lol:

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I grew up in the age of Nintendo and Game Boy (the originals), but I still read all the time. I would assume that teenagers today still read. The only teenager I know is my boyfriend's sister, who's 17. She reads all the time, but then she's "emo" and pretends that she lives in a different century and hopes to be ultra-intelligent and complex. :lol::D

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Me and my cousin were always at the library when we were in our early teens

 

Me and my best friend were the same :D although she doesn't read anymore due to becoming too immersed in her PC! :lol:

 

I've only one other friend that reads, but she doesn't read much due to working

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All this talk about parents buying their children books and taking them to the library, etc is fabulous! My parents and my husband's parents all did the same things for us when we were little, and I think that I'm going to make this a top priority when/if we have a child. It's so important!

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Beth isn't a teen yet, but her distraction is the TV, as there is so much she likes on there! As I've often said before, if you give her a quick, easy book, she does read quite a bit (Horrid Henry is a biggie at the moment), but I'm trying to encourage her to try more complex ones as well - so I'm pleased that she's willing to try The Hobbit.

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