Why is reading 'dorky'?

[Kookamoor]

Why is it that reading is considered to be a geeky/dorky pursuit, particularly for teenagers?

Does this come from the compulsory nature of reading books in school? Is it because reading is seen as antisocial? Is it because those who read are seen as intelligent and villified by those who feel inadequate (classic bullying)? Or is it a social stigma perpetuated through the generations?

In my experience, reading was not a 'cool' thing to do during my schooling. In primary school it was okay for a few years when all the girls were reading Apple fiction (Babysitters Club etc), but then it became 'uncool'. I recall when I reached Year 12 or so it was becoming more accepted again. And by the time university rolled around, it was a perfectly acceptable again. I can't say that the stigma attached to reading stopped me in any way from pursuing my books when at home, but during school I certainly didn't pick up a book and read for pleasure during recess.

I'm not sure if there is already a thread for this, because it wasn't easy to search for something along these lines. If there is, please feel free to merge.

 

[SFG75]

I never noticed an anti-book stigma when I went to school. I read a lot of political works and no one ever gave me flack for it. As a teacher, I've noticed a few classes where being "in" meant getting bad grades and not reading a small section the previous night(as if three pages would kill them.) We do have some people with a voracious appetite for books who do get some flak from the others. Perhaps the nerdy or geeky stereotype has to do with the fact that the quarterback or menacing linebacker is never seen reading The Art of War? Other than Ivy league football teams, where else do you get the Greek ultimate indivudal who is an academic and athlete wrapped up in one?

 

[Kookamoor]

Other than Ivy league football teams, where else do you get the Greek ultimate indivudal who is an academic and athlete wrapped up in one?

When I was at school I was athletic, musical and academic... but it never seemed to do me too many favours in the social scene. I was friends with people the 'cool crowd' didn't really approve of. While I associated with the cooler people in my athletic pursuits, I never really liked them and never socialised with them outside of athletics. Until I got to university, there was no respect for being an 'allrounder' like this.

 

[Scottishduffy]

Reading was dorky at my school. The only reasons I can think is partly because of the fact that reading is required at school. We had to do so much of it for classes, why bother doing any extra?

Plus, the majority of the girls were into their social groups. Life consisted of nothing more than who was dating who and the latest gossip. Reading would take you away from the social scene. As a teen, it is assumed all you care about is the typical teen drama. Good stories come from TV, not books. It is all about instant gratification. Books just took too much time.

That is just my theory. I can't truly say since I was the social reject who got teased mercilessly (not for reading) and ate lunch alone in the locker rooms every day.

 

[Mari]

The only books I can remember seeing in other girls' hands were assigned reading. Anyone reading a book had to have a highlighter poised over it to make it clear that this wasn't reading for pleasure. Celebrity gossip took up all remaining time. Relevant magazines were popular.

Even then, they didn't actually read these magazines. They could never start a piece of gossip by saying, "I read that she..." Instead, they flipped through them together as they chattered.

Boys, however, talked about books a lot. It sounded to me like they really did read them cover to cover, but it had to be the right books. Non-fiction about organized crime was "sweet." Autobiographies of sports figures were "awesome."

 

[Kookamoor]

Boys, however, talked about books a lot. It sounded to me like they really did read them cover to cover, but it had to be the right books. Non-fiction about organized crime was "sweet." Autobiographies of sports figures were "awesome."

Really?? This surprises me, because my only experience with boys in my schooling was during primary school when the boys were less inclined to read than the girls (who were reading horse books, gymnastics books and Babysitters Club sort of stuff). Mind you I recall one boy who used to spend his lunch times reading Lord of the Rings in the boys bathroom... he was definately on the less popular side of things! I went to a girls school for my high school, so I'm not too familiar with the way teenage boys view reading.

 

[cabrasopa]

In primary school it was okay for a few years when all the girls were reading Apple fiction (Babysitters Club etc), but then it became 'uncool'.
[/SIZE]

My daughter is a prime example she read everything she could lay her hands on up to about 9 years old, then she discovered music and the internet (Microsoft messenger being the main culprit) now at 13 she hardly reads at all neither does any of her friends. My 16 year old son has never really read this is down to PC games and TV. They say they get enough reading to do at school.
Peer pressure i'm sure has a lot to do with it they don't want to be seen as the 'geeky one'.
I remember not being a big reader at school but steadily increasing as i got out of my teens, so i'm hoping they will go back to it.

 

[Fistandantilus]

Most of the pwople in my class at school resent my reading habits because I do not drink and reading somehow proves that i am boring. Either this, or they resent anything that isnt to do with alcohol.

 

[Mari]

I was thinking mostly about highschool when I wrote that. In earlier grades, both girls and boys read horror series. Girls read Goosebumps; boys read gorier ones. Horses and girl detectives were for wimps. (For the record, I did read Babysitters Club. It fit my own suburban setting, but at least tried to be multicultural.)

 

[SusiePie]

In high school, I think kids who call other kids "dorky" or "geeks" because they enjoy reading are simply jealous because they know deep down that they should be reading instead of doing stupid stuff teenagers tend to do. Also, the name-callers know that one day, those "dorks" will have another name = "Boss."

 

[mehastings]

I never, ever had this problem. I read a lot and got incredibly good grades, but as far as I know nobody ever thought I was a geek. I suspect it was a result of being "well rounded". I was lead technician of our theatre company and always taking at least one drafting, building or art class. My friends were just like me, and we spent a lot of our free time smoking pot, playing cards, talking about books and getting into minor trouble. I know people saw us reading things that weren't assigned, but nobody ever said anything about it.

 

[Kookamoor]

I was thinking mostly about highschool when I wrote that. In earlier grades, both girls and boys read horror series. Girls read Goosebumps; boys read gorier ones. Horses and girl detectives were for wimps. (For the record, I did read Babysitters Club. It fit my own suburban setting, but at least tried to be multicultural.)

Yes, times have changed since I was in primary school - horse books have been replaced by horror and underpants-related material(?!). But at least they still read... for a little while

 

[mpop]

It's true that people these days prefer a movie over a book, but I prefer otherwise. If I fall over a good book, I'll buy it and read it. A movie takes only 2 hours out of my time and it is a lazy way of exercising the brain. Everything is made up for me, the images, the colors, the movie sets.
Reading a book, I imagine everything. It is all happening in my head. And nothing can beat that. Call it dorky or not, but I like to use my imagination and exercise my brain.
It is sad that other people don't see the same beauty in reading as I do or you people on this website do too.

 

[SFG75]

I've noticed that a lot of adolescent oriented books(aged 12-17) tends to be very popular where I live. I thumbed through one book that a student was reading and was surprised to find a few rough around the edges words(i.e.-rhymes with 'rich') as well as another girl fending off anothers criticism with the argument that she is PMSing. I was kind of surprised, but it is probably due to this style of writing that they are popular in the first place.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

I had an hour and a half on the bus to school somedays, I read a lot. I was also tortured in school. But I don't think those were connected.

 

[mom2kngr]

I am not sure that reading was considered "dorky" when I was growing up. I was not much of a reader til I got older. I hated reading when I was in school and maybe it was because we had to read alot of books that I didn't really care for. My daughter liked to read alot until this last year and I can not get her to read much at all now. She is 11 and in sixth grade....she would rather watch Lizzie McGuire and play on computer. I have tried to have her time from 8:30-9pm every night where she reads before bed. It seems that our lives have been so busy with her in sports and other activities that by the time that time comes around she just wants to go to sleep. I really hate that she has pushed reading aside but what can I do? I hate forcing her and am afraid if I do it may just make her hate reading.

 

[mr_michel]

i never considered that reading was a popularity issue, but then i use to do all my reading at home, dont think i ever brought a book to the school, considering that the few free time we got in school was just enough to charge into the crowd in the cafeteria to buy something and eat it, i dont think i would have had time to read anything

but yeah since i was a little kid my parents tried to teach us the habit of reading, (didnt forced us, but they would have a very large collection with enough interesting material), i used to read a lot during elementary school, but droped the habit after that, not conciously but simply had other things in mind, and im pretty sure it wasnt for any social pressure, i took the habit back when i was 16 or 17, and although i wasnt part of the cool crowd, i was without affiliation (actually it was 4 of us that wouldnt belong to any group, neither the antisocials or the cool group) but i have pretty good friends in all the groups, including my best friend who was the leader of one of the cool groups, who is probably a bigger book lover than i am.

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I read a lot at school, and get quite good grades, but I don't think that I am considered a nerd. If I was a librarian, on the other hand, I would probably have to start pre-cutting my undies in the mornings before school (are wedgies existant overseas too, or is this just an NZ thing?). I think that it's considered nerdy because you are required to actually think while you are reading, rather than just cabbing out in front of a tv set or gaming console.I tend not to read at school that much, I use the spare time that I am given to talk to friends or do homework that I usually don't complete at home, but I still get the odd person in some of my mainstream classes asking me if I "really read at home. Like for fun", with shocked looks on their faces.

 

[Billy]

Some of you sound like you have my daughter. She read a lot until she was about 11 then she became more active socially and a less active reader. Thinking back, I think I did the same thing. I'm hoping that, like me, she will rediscover her love of reading when the social scene isn't quite so demanding.

 

[ruby]

Some of you sound like you have my daughter. She read a lot until she was about 11 then she became more active socially and a less active reader. Thinking back, I think I did the same thing. I'm hoping that, like me, she will rediscover her love of reading when the social scene isn't quite so demanding.

Billy

Your daughters has a love of books!
That never leaves us readers even when we do other things!
I am sure she will go back to them!