This Writer Tries To Roast Millenials For Not Reading Books, Gets Destroyed With Statistics
Oh, how much the older generation loves bashing young people. There’s not much to be mad about, as it has been this way since forever. But the recent trend of blaming everything on millennials is getting really tiresome (remember when someone tried to blame the millennial generation for destroying the pet food industry?). However, such strategies usually backfire big time, when young people respond. Recently, Ann Coulter (for those not in the know, she’s a social and political commentator, writer, columnist, and lawyer) tried to roast young people by implying that they’ve stopped reading books. Well, as we’ve mentioned before, spreading false information can backfire quickly, especially on social media.
According to a recent survey, 18 to 29-year-olds are the age group that is most likely to have read a book over the past year (digital or paper)
Image credits: Barbara W
But there are still some people that insist that the selfie-taking, Snapchat-obsessed, texting generation has never held a book in its hands, let alone read it.
Recently, Aaron M. Sanchez asked Twitter to name something from childhood that someone younger wouldn’t understand
Image credits: AaronMSanchez
Aaron M. Sanchez, an ABC radio host posted on his Twitter: “Without saying how old you are, name one thing from your childhood someone younger wouldn’t understand.”
And Ann Coulter’s response is not sitting well with some people
Image credits: AnnCoulter
So, someone responded to her with an image of the 2016 statistics attached
Image credits: MerelyACrow
Image credits: Marketing Charts
For those who are into more recent statistics, here’s one from 2018, depicting adults who have read a book in the last 12 months in the United States by age
Image credits: Statista
“While it is mostly believed that book reading is a vanishing pastime, particularly among millennials, surveys among consumers in the U.S. have shown the opposite. The share of book readers in the U.S. has varied from 72 percent to 79 percent between 2011 and 2016,” states Statista.com. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, millennials go through their reading lists more than older generations do. And not only that – they actually read more than the previous generation did at the same age. What is even more interesting is that books are seemingly resisting the digital trend that has overtaken other media industries, for instance, television or music. Some argue that it is due to the physical feeling of holding a paper book in your hands, or, as professor Naomi Baron puts it: “there’s a physical, tactile, kinesthetic component to reading.” It seems that even the low prices and easy portability of e-books are not enough to make the readers forget the importance of reading books, especially the paper ones.
It seems that we have another myth about young people of today debunked. What do you think, what are they going to be blamed for next?
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Share on FacebookI'm 14 and I read all of the time! Extra time during lunch? Go to the library and find a new book. Before bed? Read that new book. Ran out of books to read? Reread a Harry Potter book for the millionth time!
I'm 38 and read probably 25 books last year, currently on my first one this year.
At least figure out how old we are first before lumping us in with teenagers.
Load More Replies...I just have a huge pile in front of my dresser coz my bookshelf is in the middle of the primer coat of paint.
Load More Replies...I read one and a half full books yesterday. The half was the last of another in the series. They’re not lengthy books; 25-30 chapter average with 6-10 pages per chapter. But, ya know, I read all the time. A lot is digital, but it’s still reading. You can just carry more books at a time!!
Interesting to note that education is the biggest factor. The age, economic, and residency variables are actually fairly close.
Just turned 14 and I read over 50 books a year... So yeah, people are totally reading less and less as time goes on.
Also, I have four full bookshelves in my room. I get a new one every couple years and many, many books to fill the shelves too every birthday/Christmas. YES, WE READ.
Load More Replies...I recently dumped around $100 on pre-"disney's crappy canon" Star Wars books
Have you read the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn? It is SO GOOD!
Load More Replies...14, almost 15, been reading since I was four. I own at least 297 books (that was just the last time I checked) I can't enter a library or bookstore without leaving with at least 5. At my public library I've read every book in the children's section, almost every one in the YA section and several adult novels as well. I am also currently in the process of writing my own book that I one day hope to get published. But no, I don't understand what a "book" is.
just read an entire 300+ page book(5th one this year) in 90 minutes yesterday
“Without saying how old you are, name one thing from your childhood someone younger wouldn’t understand.” “Books.” Me: *looks over at my favorite 1,250 page book of every play and poem by friggin’ Shakespeare*
I’ve already read a fair amount of it and I got it at Christmas. And I’m definitely younger than 29.
Load More Replies...I'm a young adult, and I read a lot of books. Though most of the reading happens when I should be sleeping. But my sister said that when she was in middle school, her classmates were actually surprised anyone would want to read for fun. Among my peers, though, I know many avid readers.
Not so long ago I read a 500+ page book in one day. I read pretty much every day...
I'm 26 and I read all the time I have hundreds of books on my kindle and physical books at home. Having the kindle made it easier to read anywhere.
Newsflash: People without children and high pressure jobs read more. Nothing to do with millenials or boomers.
did she intend that to mean they don't read or was it intended literally? as in they don't know what an actual book is. While i am sure this generation knows what a book is future ones may not. Book stores are closing at an alarming rate. at least by my generations standards. i know more and more people are reading books on computers these days. which I am sure is an environmentally sound idea. we old folk just have a hard time getting our head around it.
The charts dont say what kind of book it involves and in what context (pleasure or educational, and yes books read for pleasure can be educating). A lot of 18-29 are under some sort of education, that could bring up statistics. I dont know, but i am pretty sure books (in any format) will be read a lot now and in the future by all generations.
The most interesting and important thing in the charts is that it (still) shows that the less you earn, the less you read. We have to keep trying to change that.
Load More Replies...Anne Fishmouth? She's not even on the level with bp to post her garbage thinking. ;)
18 year olds are not millennials. They are Gen Z. Millennial is not a synonym for young. Some millennials are pushing 40 now. And the mistake isn’t dumbass Ann Coulter’s fault - the person using stats for Gen Z to defend millennials is the one who made the mistake. Either way, Ann Coulter is like 55 and has no idea what anyone younger than her is up to.
I'm the mother of three very nice, well mannered and hard working millennial young men and I'm so sick of the millennial stereotyping. It's annoying to sterotype any group but I feel millennials get really trashed.
Yeah I haven't read a "book" in ages. I read on my kindle, my kindle app, my ibooks app ... :-)
33 here. Currently reading the witcher book series. I played the video games and it's turning into a show soon so I wanted to read the books.
I think it's not so much about who reads, but about what format. I find that younger people use tablets or some other form of electronics. us older folk like to actually hold a book. used book stores are becoming a thing of the past. shame.
Speak for yourself. I am older and prefer my eReader. I have one author that I buy hardback books, one. The rest is electronic. I'll be 60 soon.
Load More Replies...I'm 14 and I read all of the time! Extra time during lunch? Go to the library and find a new book. Before bed? Read that new book. Ran out of books to read? Reread a Harry Potter book for the millionth time!
I'm 38 and read probably 25 books last year, currently on my first one this year.
At least figure out how old we are first before lumping us in with teenagers.
Load More Replies...I just have a huge pile in front of my dresser coz my bookshelf is in the middle of the primer coat of paint.
Load More Replies...I read one and a half full books yesterday. The half was the last of another in the series. They’re not lengthy books; 25-30 chapter average with 6-10 pages per chapter. But, ya know, I read all the time. A lot is digital, but it’s still reading. You can just carry more books at a time!!
Interesting to note that education is the biggest factor. The age, economic, and residency variables are actually fairly close.
Just turned 14 and I read over 50 books a year... So yeah, people are totally reading less and less as time goes on.
Also, I have four full bookshelves in my room. I get a new one every couple years and many, many books to fill the shelves too every birthday/Christmas. YES, WE READ.
Load More Replies...I recently dumped around $100 on pre-"disney's crappy canon" Star Wars books
Have you read the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn? It is SO GOOD!
Load More Replies...14, almost 15, been reading since I was four. I own at least 297 books (that was just the last time I checked) I can't enter a library or bookstore without leaving with at least 5. At my public library I've read every book in the children's section, almost every one in the YA section and several adult novels as well. I am also currently in the process of writing my own book that I one day hope to get published. But no, I don't understand what a "book" is.
just read an entire 300+ page book(5th one this year) in 90 minutes yesterday
“Without saying how old you are, name one thing from your childhood someone younger wouldn’t understand.” “Books.” Me: *looks over at my favorite 1,250 page book of every play and poem by friggin’ Shakespeare*
I’ve already read a fair amount of it and I got it at Christmas. And I’m definitely younger than 29.
Load More Replies...I'm a young adult, and I read a lot of books. Though most of the reading happens when I should be sleeping. But my sister said that when she was in middle school, her classmates were actually surprised anyone would want to read for fun. Among my peers, though, I know many avid readers.
Not so long ago I read a 500+ page book in one day. I read pretty much every day...
I'm 26 and I read all the time I have hundreds of books on my kindle and physical books at home. Having the kindle made it easier to read anywhere.
Newsflash: People without children and high pressure jobs read more. Nothing to do with millenials or boomers.
did she intend that to mean they don't read or was it intended literally? as in they don't know what an actual book is. While i am sure this generation knows what a book is future ones may not. Book stores are closing at an alarming rate. at least by my generations standards. i know more and more people are reading books on computers these days. which I am sure is an environmentally sound idea. we old folk just have a hard time getting our head around it.
The charts dont say what kind of book it involves and in what context (pleasure or educational, and yes books read for pleasure can be educating). A lot of 18-29 are under some sort of education, that could bring up statistics. I dont know, but i am pretty sure books (in any format) will be read a lot now and in the future by all generations.
The most interesting and important thing in the charts is that it (still) shows that the less you earn, the less you read. We have to keep trying to change that.
Load More Replies...Anne Fishmouth? She's not even on the level with bp to post her garbage thinking. ;)
18 year olds are not millennials. They are Gen Z. Millennial is not a synonym for young. Some millennials are pushing 40 now. And the mistake isn’t dumbass Ann Coulter’s fault - the person using stats for Gen Z to defend millennials is the one who made the mistake. Either way, Ann Coulter is like 55 and has no idea what anyone younger than her is up to.
I'm the mother of three very nice, well mannered and hard working millennial young men and I'm so sick of the millennial stereotyping. It's annoying to sterotype any group but I feel millennials get really trashed.
Yeah I haven't read a "book" in ages. I read on my kindle, my kindle app, my ibooks app ... :-)
33 here. Currently reading the witcher book series. I played the video games and it's turning into a show soon so I wanted to read the books.
I think it's not so much about who reads, but about what format. I find that younger people use tablets or some other form of electronics. us older folk like to actually hold a book. used book stores are becoming a thing of the past. shame.
Speak for yourself. I am older and prefer my eReader. I have one author that I buy hardback books, one. The rest is electronic. I'll be 60 soon.
Load More Replies...
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