Why boys don't/wont read....

[Galant]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...24.html?sub=AR

I get so ticked off to see that in an good move to improve education with girls schools have turned the tables on the boys. It's not just America either, it's certainly England too and perhaps throughout the 'West'. When I look around and see boys who are only trained to be self-obsessed, immature, game playing 'lads'; who never really grow past this as the years move by it upsets me.

Reading is not always an easy skill for most boys to pick up for but it can be promoted by making use of the right and varied material. I didn't much like reading anything beyond the occasional non-fiction book on a few favourite subjects. Until that is, I had to choose a pre-19th century novel for an English class. Shakespeare never inspired me and Jane Austen wasn't on the cards, but I came across a novel by some chap called Robert Louis Stevenson. Treasure Island it was called, and all of a sudden reading became interesting. It didn't turn me into a big novel reader at all. I still kept with my non-fiction, games magazines and other things, but it made me less afraid in the future, or perhaps more interested in other novels in the future. I eventually picked up a few novels along the way. Some novels on the Norse and some mythology got me into a few novels of the same kind. Thinking about it, once in Primary school, aged about 7 or 8 the teacher read 'Erik the Viking' to the class. Classics story, and in fact I remember asking my mum to take me out to buy that book. So maybe that was my start.

Now I hear about 'gender issues', 'cultural relevance', and it ticks me off. A government study to fix the problem? No thanks. How about just some good books. Ask the older generation of men about it and see what they say. It'll be cheaper and far more productive.

[Kezzer]

I can read just fine. Turn the computer off and hey presto, i'm at it for hours on end.

[EvilMunky]

im at it for hours on end too.

but dont read as much as i should!

[Lee H]

Join the club. I used to read EVERYTHING when I was a kid ( aged 5 and upwards )

Joy of knowledge (all books ), encyclopedia's, the stupid readers digest books on how to plant flowers, fix household items and what not. I didn't really get onto computers until I was about 12-13.

Now I read ebooks, pdf's and stuff like that but occasionally I like to chill in bed and grab one of Terry Pratchett's books and read away

[smtkr]

Between age 14 and 15, I read about 25 novels with an average of 400+ pages each. Since then, I've almost completely converted to television. The culprit: cable tv. I grew up with 4 channels and reading was the only way for me to get some quality fiction. Since then, I have 24 hours sports and about 65 other channels. I can't see picking up anything but a textbook (for school) now.

[Stoo]

I can still tear through a novel in only a couple of days if I get a good run at it - harry potter boxed set when I was at uni, whole lot in 3 days, then the Wilbur Smith Egyptian series in less than a week last year.

I've got a bit of a book pile growing here at the moment, I'll probably get stuck into them fairly soon..

[0iD]

My house is one big library, always been a compulsive reader of anything that I think may interest me. Trouble is I cant bare to be parted from my books, so hence I have boxes apon boxes of them. The loft is rammed.

Probably stems from my primary school where I was pretty much on permenant detention. So most of my playtimes/lunches were spent ensconsed in the library.

[Zedmeister]

Books are brilliant. I used to read qutie a bit when i were t'lad. Mostly fact books and the like. These days, I don't read much anymore cause I don't have the time... However, I'll occasionally pick up a good book and read it through.

[Silence]

I can read, i just choose not to

I guess i just can't be bothered, i have a pc, a ps2, and a dvd collection, so i just default to one of them if im not at a mates house. I do however write a fair few short stories and the like, so im not a complete lost cause

[Kumagoro]

I cant be bothered either im just not interested in reading books. Magazines, journals
yes books no. If i want a story then i have the tv.

[Endymion]

I read fine too. Okay, I'm studying English at university and don't have much choice, but I actually enjoy it.

[BEANFro Elite]

I used to read books like it was going out of fashion back when I was around five years old, but then computers came along and the poor little fellows were pushed away into the darkest cavities of thou room (the book that is).

Although I haven't read a single book / novel since the old secondary school days when we were pretty much forced at gunpoint to read books of some sort.

You can all see that my ability to write quality, enormousmly compelling posts has yet to deteriorate, proving my point that computers do not encourage a lower IQ, but rather give even more ways of expressing and bettering oneself in multitude of ways.

[yamangman]

You can all see that my ability to write quality, enormousmly compelling posts has yet to deteriorate, proving my point that computers do not encourage a lower IQ, but rather give even more ways of expressing and bettering oneself in multitude of ways.

Ahh, in your attempt to substantiate your claim that personal computers are not in detriment to an individuals IQ, you reiterated your final proclomation unnecessarily, therefore it makes less sense than it otherwise would have.

[midzt]

I only read when I have to now, few years ago I did read but for GCSEs I only read the books I have to and they pretty much put me off reading. Far From the Madding Crowd was the most boring book I have ever read. I just don't really have time for it, after school I have to do homework and after that I just want to relax.

[Ravens Nest]

When i worked in london i had a 45 min journey to work and another 45 min back, so i used to read at least one book a week.
so i averaged about 30 books a year and i worked up london for 5 years and read books in 4 years of that time so i read about 120 books.

But since i've been working in a warehouse near where i live i havent read one in 3 years.

[BEANFro Elite]

Ahh, in your attempt to substantiate your claim that personal computers are not in detriment to an individuals IQ, you reiterated your final proclomation unnecessarily, therefore it makes less sense than it otherwise would have.

...D'oh!!