'Reading is so sexy': Gen Z turns to physical books and libraries | Hacker News Reader

'Reading is so sexy': Gen Z turns to physical books and libraries

theguardian.com

42 pointsmindracer20 comments

So I was nodding in approval ... up until getting to the "merch" section. O tempora o mores!

My favourite work on this theme: https://barykin-pin-up.ru/#/i/kniga-luchshaya-podruga (the apple is obvious; she is reading "Mode", a soviet-era fashion mag that seems to still be in print to this day; he is reading a science fiction collection. My russian is weak, but AIUI the caption most likely claims "a book [is the] best friend", and because books are grammatically feminine in russian, it's ambiguous and could also be read as "best girlfriend")

It's interesting to contrast with the other media narrative which is "Zoomers can't read":

https://old.reddit.com/r/Millennials/comments/1am3xq2/litera...

The stats actually support the latter narrative more - literacy rates are dropping in the U.S. [1], and performance on standardized reading tests has been going down, even in affluent districts [2]. I'm glad that some Gen Z members enjoy reading more, but this appears to be more anecdotal than a general trend.

[1] https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=69

[2] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/10/metro/reading-skills-...

Internet (mainstream) news are literally polar opposites now. I'm starting to get my news from Academia.edu and scientific papers.

There is a sort of functional illiteracy that youth have developed: a lack of focus when looking at printed text, a need for everything to be video, etc.

I was lamenting to my manager that graduate students don't read the documentation I write on using our research servers in our department. She said "videos would help, they don't like to read". Nope. I refuse. If you can't discipline your mind to extract meaning from text then you are functionally illiterate. Seek help.

I think there is a growing education divide between those who are able to resist the distractions and utilize the vast knowledge of the internet versus those who cannot [1]. The internet tends to enhance good and bad qualities from my own personal experience and these zoomer anecdotes may still point to something the stats don't show.

[1] no judgement as a lot of it is genetic + childhood environment

The statistics in the article are from Britain.

I can't find literacy trends for Britain, but reading trends are indeed down [1].

[1] https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-repo... (FSM = free school meals, eligibility for that is a basic measure of poverty.)

I'm put off by the focus of the article. As already mentioned it feels like it's peddling a book club and merch first and making strenuous connections to try and justify it.

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I don't really like putting on my cynical hat, but despite the final paragraph I still feel a good chunk of the preference for physical books and libraries comes down to being performative. I'm not doubting if the books are being read, but if you're putting yourself forward on TikTok having read a book, having a physical copy lets you flout it – something you can't do well with an e-reader.

Do I expect certain celebs to go out with certain books to tacitly promote them, even if it's just because they think they the book is good? Sure. Does it give their fanbase something to bond over? Yeah, and that can be nice.

> I still feel a good chunk of the preference for physical books and libraries comes down to being performative. I'm not doubting if the books are being read, but if you're putting yourself forward on TikTok having read a book

This is a massive problem in some circles I am in, particularly relating to early Christian history and theology. You'll find a lot of people who take photos of their books and use a certain kind of language typical to the area of study but they cannot actually summarize what they've read. They reduce books and learning to a mere aesthetic that lets them signal certain group affiliations, its an exercise in vain self-aggrandization.

It makes it harder, especially as a beginner in some areas, to find a good community where you can actually learn since for every 1 knowledgeable person who can help you understand and learn the material there are 5 others who know how to /sound/ like they know what they are talking about but are actually repeating buzzwords they gained from skimming entry-level secondary sources.

Doesn't help that "joining a community" these days basically means finding a subreddit that can tell you which things you need to buy in order to become part of that community. Once you've bought them, you post a picture on the subreddit with some sort of self-deprecating title and move on to figuring out what you need to buy next.

An odd area to show off in. What next, hair shirt fashion shows?

Reading is social! And having physical books and libraries allows you to share with your friends what you are reading in a concrete, physical, albeit arguably performative way. And it also allows you to share the book itself with others.

Sharing a good book with a friend who I know will appreciate it, is one of the loveliest things. I love my ebook too, but my e-library does not lend itself to organically sharing books after I've finished them. In this loneliness epidemic, book sharing is perhaps one of many social activities we should strive to not leave behind. Even just seeing a stranger on the bus reading a book that you have read and loved can be a special catalyst for connection and community in the physical world.

Granted, none of that applies to showing off books on tiktok for the clout/likes. Like many things on tiktok, I also feel a little cynical about that.

As someone who's more of a social recluse in my day to day life, I'd never have considered what you've just said. Thank you for the eye-opener.

I still share what I've read with friends and coworkers and it's lovely to have that spark when you've both read the same thing... But as someone who used to read physical books at work I wasn't comfortable with broadcasting what I was reading – my e-reader feels much more discreet.

It's swings and roundabouts with what you're comfortable with socially. Maybe I'm too closed off for my own good!

Really disappointing article, and it only mentions libraries as a link to another very disappointing article.

That said, if you've been to a "modern" public library (let's say built or significantly renovated in the last 10-15 years???) lately, you will definitely notice that they are popular and well-used by the younger generations.

If you don't live near one, check one out when traveling. We've done that a few times - hang out at the local library on a rainy day when on vacation or visiting old friends. You'll find that even in deep red states where it seems like the only thing they talk about regarding libraries is banning books, the libraries are often fantastic and well-used.

I always hated the “guess what are millennials up to” articles aimed at boomers. They were always inaccurate, taking some anecdote with a sample size as small as a single individual and spam it into a national or global trend. No way I am going to give a click to an equivalent article about Gen Z.

Any generalisation using these categories (that we've invented) for large swathes of largely disconnected/unrelated people is bonkers.

"Oh they're born in the same period of time so they must all do x" is pretty useless for anything BUT vague generalisations.

You are discounting the theory of generations though.

A group of people who go though similar stages of their life at the same time, while experiencing the same life events together.

Every zoomer grew up in the backdrop of 911, the two wars in the middle east, the financial crisis and all experienced those events at similar ages.

I don't think it's impossible that things like this might affect behavior or decision making across the group.

I don't even care about the body, that title is awful and screams "how do u do fellow kids?"

Rename title to “Napo Child turns to physical books and libraries” please, and thank you.

Feels like half the article is a puff piece for a nepo-baby's new book club to be honest.

That said, nothing at all wrong with more people reading!

First, when was reading NOT sexy?

Second, another generation is shaming millennials? Want a participation trophy or something...?

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