# Younger Gen and Kindle Aversion



## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

being a "youngster" here on the boards [22] I've been surprised at the mixed reviews I've gotten for the Kindle.......most of my classmates have taken the Kindle as I expected.... "you spent money on a Ipod for _books?!?!_" For some reason reading is not a cherished past time for people my age and younger   

I have had a number of people think it's a very cool idea and surprisingly enough those that were interested were people I never thought would be......strange how people think. LOL

So what are your thoughts on why younger people don't read as much and B] how can Kindle be marketed to better reach Gen X?


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## webhill (Feb 12, 2009)

You think young people don't read? Hmm. Well, I'm 39... I have a 24 year old sister-in-law. She likes my kindle a lot. She reads a lot. My 20-something cousins also like it - one of them wants to steal it. I can't say I've noted any kindle aversion. Maybe it's just an individual thing. I don't think it's generational anyway. At least not in my experience. I can tell you my 8 year old and his friends LOVE the Kindle and are desperate for one of their own.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Plenty of other interests, reading perceived as school type work, love of reading not instilled by parents, because of other interests, lack of time to apply to reading. As to what would have to change to bring them back to reading. I am unsure, but I hope getting a little older will help.


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## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

webhill.....I'm glad that your experience has been positive toward younger readers. I am also from CA- Bay Area to be exact and unfortunately our younger Gen seems to be a bit preoccupied with S*x, drugs, partying, new fashion trends, and new gadgets [minus the Kindle] Just my experience/observations.


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## dickj (Nov 26, 2008)

One of the things that surprises me about the "genxers" or whatever you want to call them, is their lack of a sense of adventure.  It seems they get an iPod or iPhone and they think they are set for life.  It seems they are seduced by the hype and advertising and just can't go beyond that.  What a pity - they will miss so many great and fun things in life!

You said that you ran into several people that were interested in the K who you thought would never be.  Maybe there are readers in your age group after all? 

Do you really think it is true that "younger" people don't like to read or is there a culture that suppresses it?


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

I work at a Uni and all the kids I show it to love it. They just can't see spending that much for it. (but most have ipod touches!)


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## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

dickj said:


> Do you really think it is true that "younger" people don't like to read or is there a culture that suppresses it?


Overall I think it's a cultural suppression....it's not the "cool" thing to do.


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## NessaBug (Jan 5, 2009)

I'm 26 and I couldn't live without my Kindle. However, now that I have Kindle on my iPhone as well, I don't drag Ken Doll out of the house nearly as much. I'm a journalist, so I also see the Kindle as part of my business' future.

All that being said, when I was in high school and college, I read so much for class, I never read for fun. Once the Kindle offers many. many mainstream textbooks, I bet more young people will scoop them up and discover the other joys of ownership.


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## Britt (Feb 8, 2009)

I am also 22. I've read on my Kindle in class, the cafeteria, etc. The people who know what it is think it's cool, and the people who don't know what it is think it's cool after I tell them what it is. Actually, I've found that older people (well, ok, my dad) are the ones who balk at it... he's constantly poking fun at me for not reading "real" books (ironic, since he's the one who bought it for me!)


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## Britt (Feb 8, 2009)

NessaBug said:


> However, now that I have Kindle on my iPhone as well, I don't drag Ken Doll out of the house nearly as much.


Haha, Ken Doll, that is too cute!


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

I would think that many people old and young would find the cost of the Kindle as a stopping point. The initial outlay seems too high for many.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

I'm 19 and my kindle goes EVERYWHERE with me. Some of my classmates have expressed interested in my kindle (especially my japanese class), but I've had classmates think that it was crazy anyone would spend money on a device to read books on. [meanwhile I usually mention that they did spend a couple hundred on name brand designer bags or something, depending on who it is] Most just say get a laptop. Most of my older classmates love my kindle. Still all my friends love the idea of having a kindle. they are all readers and have had to leaves their books home when they went to live in the dorms.


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## Britt (Feb 8, 2009)

Vegas_Asian (Experiment#305) said:


> Some of my classmates have expressed interested in my kindle (especially my japanese class), but I've had classmates think that it was crazy anyone would spend money on a device to read books on.


私も。日本語の先生はとくにキンダルが好きですよ。


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

lol. I think my jap teacher will be embarrassed at me right now. I can read and understand it...but I don't remember how to reply correctly. My class should have do a kindle vs. sony 505 comparison, cuz one of the guys in my class has a Sony. We spent quite a bit of time demoing our ereaders in class.

If the kindle or the sony had the ability to read and display comics (especially manga) a lot of my friends and classmates would have been sold. wonder if manga would be cheaper in ebook format


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## kguthrie (Feb 23, 2009)

I'm only 33, but I love having a Kindle. I know I'm quite a bit older than you, but I think younger people don't enjoy reading as much as I have.


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## cjpatrick (Jan 4, 2009)

22 myself! I think that the reason a lot of people our age are turned off by reading is the way reading was imposed on us in school. We were forced to read things like "The Scarlet Letter" long before we got to read things we truly enjoyed. Reading is a skill and you can't start off reading that kind of boring dribble. I mean, I absolutely hated reading until I was in college. I couldn't stand the thought of it. I understand older generations had the same reading requirements but they also didn't have a movie theatre in their living room and a library of video games to distract themselves with. We have so many distractions these days that we are very unlikely to give reading another chance once we've been bogged down with it in school. I mean can a 14 year old truly enjoy Dickens or Tolstoy? Give a teenage boy a science fiction novel or an epic fantasy/action/adventure and let him find his way to the classics when he's ready. Girls...well I have no idea what a teenage girl would read, but let her choose too.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

VA, do you think reading was part of the connection between you and the people who became your friends or just a coincidence?


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## PJ (Feb 25, 2009)

From what I have seen of my nieces and nephew I see both sides.  My nieces (18 & 23) especially the 18 year old love reading.  My nephew (21) on the other hand doesn't.  I do see the school system as having had a negative impact on my nephew's reading habits (or lack there of).  They were forced to read a certain number of books from a fixed list.  He hated almost everything on that list and my sister and I couldn't really blame him.  I agree that Jr. High and HS kids should be able to read what they choose not from a limited and unimaginative list given by a bunch of educational bureaucrats.  There is another aspect to this as well though.  There has always been a tradition of reading among the women in my family.  My mother is an avid reader as is my sister and of course me.  This is not as true with the men for whatever reason (my father and brother in law).  I don't know what role these traditions and way the split down gender lines has had but I can't help wonder.  As much as children try separate themselves from their parents I think their example still has a lot of weight in their choices,


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

That was one of the great things about my world lit. class in high school. I could read almost anything I  wanted , just let the teacher know what it was ahead of time.


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

We all make decision about how we spend our money.  That may be a factor in their reaction.  Young people seem to love electronic devices, but it is difficult to afford everything.  It will be good when electronic readers and books are more affordable.  

I hear people talking about what they were forced to read in school.  That applies to people of all ages.  Education broadens our lives and our interests.  It doesn't mean you have to enjoy everything your read.  What is the point of school if you read only what you like to read?  Having said that, it may be time for schools to update their book lists.  My niece is a student at the University of San Diego.  Last semester she took a class in Irish literature.  She learned a lot from the class and enjoyed some of the books she read.  Irish literature may not be her thing, but she is glad she took the class.


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## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

I have been an avid reader as long as I can remember.  I have two daughters that now have children of their own.  My oldest daughter does not read novels at all, the only reading she does is magazines and net surfing.  She has told me she has no interest in reading anything I have recommended to her.  My younger daughter reads alot, loves Stephen King novels, the Harry Potter series and just about anything about vampires.  I truly think that there are just people that have no interest in the reading of a story however will watch a movie based on that same story, maybe it is the relative instant gratification.  I also think that there are a lot more distractions what with video games, computers, etc. that the "more mature" of us didn't have.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I think the best endorsement for peers and parents is for them to see your continual use. Get a newspaper subscription and drop some science on the family about the article you just read in the New York Times. Have people mention a cool book and then buy it in front of them.  Just let people see the thing is all kinds of rainbowy awesome.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

My almost 21 year old son is an avid reader and has been all of his life. My 17 year old daughter likes to read but not as avidly as Lance. She seems to go in fits and spurts. However, she is the one who encouraged me to buy her a Kindle because she said it would get her reading more and I think it has (although she seems to be in one of her reading lulls right now).

As for required reading in school: I remember reading more books that I hated vs. books that I liked. They turned me off certain authors for life, ie, Dickens. I read *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* back in December before the movie came out. That was the first time I read something by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 40 years since I hated *The Great Gatsby* so much. I mentioned this before -- I never took a literature course in college because I couldn't bear the thought of all those assigned books and having to read each one in a day or two.

L


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## cttcrazy (Mar 13, 2009)

My daughter is 22.  She loves to read, but does not like the Kindle.  She prefers paper books.  She has hundreds of books.  She hates to lend them to people, afraid they will bend the spines, dog ear the pages or not return them.  This last year she has been taking a few to the used book stores in town and getting credit for them or if the used book stores don't want them then she donates them to the library.
She has shown no interest in the Kindle, likes to have her physical book in her personal library.


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## webhill (Feb 12, 2009)

dickj said:


> One of the things that surprises me about the "genxers" or whatever you want to call them, is their lack of a sense of adventure. It seems they get an iPod or iPhone and they think they are set for life. It seems they are seduced by the hype and advertising and just can't go beyond that. What a pity - they will miss so many great and fun things in life!
> 
> You said that you ran into several people that were interested in the K who you thought would never be. Maybe there are readers in your age group after all?
> 
> Do you really think it is true that "younger" people don't like to read or is there a culture that suppresses it?


I'd like to address this "generation X" thing - I thought generation X was born between 1965 and 1980? So *I* am part of generation X, though I'm 39? Ha ha. OK moving on.... I really think that sweeping generalizations about an entire group of people are unlikely to be well-taken by members of that group. Honestly, because I have this younger sister-in-law I mentioned, as well as younger (23-28 yrs) cousins with whom i am very close, I have a lot of interaction with the younger members of GenX as well as with my own age cohort. Yes, they all have iPods and iPhones (heck, everyone in my house over the age of 7 years has an iPod touch or an iPhone). Yes, they (we!) enjoy technology (when my husband and I were engaged, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story on us because we had an unreasonably large number of computers and worked for an internet service provider). But that does not mean we are culturally illiterate, or do not enjoy reading! I have always been a huge reader - one of those kids whose teachers are always saying "put that book down and pay attention!" to. My son ( is similarly a huge reader - and right now, he is enjoying reading on his iPod touch Kindle application (I put a bunch of stuff on there like Tom Sawyer, Beautiful Joe, etc). Lacking a sense of adventure? Hardly. My cousins and young friends are traveling the world with their iPhones in hand, liveblogging hikes through minimally populated areas of Asia and the great European capitals. They are having trouble finding jobs, so they are starting their own consulting companies, or creating their own niches out of part-time temp work resulting in whole new departments rising up around them. They are hardly what I'd call lacking in a sense of adventure.

Now, my husband on the other hand - he's 30 years old (yes, I'm an older woman) - he doesn't particularly like to read for recreation. But I think he's probably the only person in my social circle who feels that way! Seriously, I just can't imagine that people don't think college-age kids are reading. I see them all the time in my local Starbucks, hogging the tables, with their vampire novels or their Moliere (I'm near several universities ), or at Barnes and Noble, similarly hogging the tables with their stacks of reading material.

And btw - I lived in the Bay Area for 8 yrs. There were times i got a lot of reading done because, well, I had lost my motivation to get off the sofa and the book was right there... so....


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## webhill (Feb 12, 2009)

cjpatrick said:


> 22 myself! I think that the reason a lot of people our age are turned off by reading is the way reading was imposed on us in school. We were forced to read things like "The Scarlet Letter" long before we got to read things we truly enjoyed. Reading is a skill and you can't start off reading that kind of boring dribble.


Excuse me but, boring dribble The Scarlet Letter?? Be still, my heart. Deep breath. OMG I thought I might faint for a moment there.

Wow. Meanwhile, I recall as a student wishing the teacher would just STFU and let me get on with my reading. I remember the local librarian calling my mother because I was only 10 but wanted to take out books with "adult themes" and my mom told the librarian to leave me alone - thank goodness - and I absolutely tore through a bunch of classic literary novels I barely understood, and loved them. I loved them more when I went back to them in college and understood them better, of course 



cjpatrick said:


> I mean, I absolutely hated reading until I was in college. I couldn't stand the thought of it. I understand older generations had the same reading requirements but they also didn't have a movie theatre in their living room and a library of video games to distract themselves with. We have so many distractions these days that we are very unlikely to give reading another chance once we've been bogged down with it in school. I mean can a 14 year old truly enjoy Dickens or Tolstoy? Give a teenage boy a science fiction novel or an epic fantasy/action/adventure and let him find his way to the classics when he's ready. Girls...well I have no idea what a teenage girl would read, but let her choose too.


Yes. Yes, a 14 year old can fall in love with Dickens or Tolstoy. I am living proof. And maybe I didn't have a movie theater or video game library (though I had Pong! I loved Pong...) to distract myself - but I had a horse who was a huge joy and responsibility, and I had my violin to play, and I had girl scout badges to obtain.... there were plenty of other things I could have been doing but they all always never happened unless mom tore the book out of my hand and threw me outside to go do something else. That said, I'm certainly all for choice in reading material to go ALONG WITH the required material.


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## cjpatrick (Jan 4, 2009)

I never want to disband the required material. I think there is alot to learn from it. I just worry about scaring the majority of younger people off from reading by putting some of this stuff in front of them. Because alot of these classics are slow reads, they are slower paced and deal alot with internal conflict that younger students just cannot relate to. I found that it wasn't until I was much older that I could even appreciate them. I have spent the last couple of years trying to convince all my friends that reading was not nearly as evil as Mrs. Bennett had led them to believe. And once I put a couple of James Patterson novels in front of them, they would quite often understand where I was coming from. After a couple of years, I even saw one of my friends picking up Moby Dick at Books-a-Million because of his own interest. So I have no doubt that some people love A Scarlet Letter, nor do I mean any offense to those that do, but I don't think the majority of teenagers care for the book, and my question is how do you reach them? How do you sell them on reading instead of a DVD or an Xbox 360 game?


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Many parents allow their kids to watch a ton of tv and play a ton of video games. Maybe if more parents set hard tv and video game limits their kids would find the time to read a book. It drove me nuts as a kid that I could not watch as much tv as my friends but I appreciate those limits now. I see my Brothers raising their kids with slightly less strict tv limits (we were stuck with 30 minutes a day as kids) but all of their kids are readers. They were read to every night before they went to bed and before every nap. They will bring us books to read to them when we are visiting.  

I don't think you can blame the schools for kids lack of interest in reading. Yes some of the material I read in High School was not my cup of tea (I still say the Bronte sisters are evil) but I had learned to love reading long before I hit high school. It is the parents responsibility to take their kids to the library or buy books so that their kids grow up knowing that reading is an every day activity and is enjoyable. If you wait until your kid is in high school and think that the assigned novels are going to excite your child, then you have waited far too long.


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## PianoManKD (Mar 20, 2009)

pomlover2586 said:


> being a "youngster" here on the boards [22] I've been surprised at the mixed reviews I've gotten for the Kindle.......most of my classmates have taken the Kindle as I expected.... "you spent money on a Ipod for _books?!?!_" For some reason reading is not a cherished past time for people my age and younger
> 
> I have had a number of people think it's a very cool idea and surprisingly enough those that were interested were people I never thought would be......strange how people think. LOL
> 
> So what are your thoughts on why younger people don't read as much and B] how can Kindle be marketed to better reach Gen X?


hey im only 23! i just ordered a kindle 2 (its actually on the truck out for delivery right now, any momennnnnt now, I CANT WAIT!

People think im crazy spending 350 for a machine that reads books, but i honestly couldn't care less. If i'm happy then fine.

As for marketing to younger generations, they should first of all make it A) cheaper and B)video capability?


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Video capability really does not support reading. I like that the Kindle is a e-reader and that is all it is. Nice and simple. No need to worry about it breaking down because function x that is not for reading is misbehaving.

Cheaper is always good.


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## kari (Feb 15, 2009)

My young cousin (who could be my child lol) is 18 and loves to read.  He is dying to have a Kindle so he can get books instantly and not have to wait to get to a bookstore.  This kid literally can fly through several books in a week.  I think a couple of us are going to chip in and buy him a Kindle for his high school graduation in a few months.  Then a great gift for him will always be Amazon gift cards!!

Granted, he might be in the minority....


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

PianoManKD said:


> hey im only 23! i just ordered a kindle 2 (its actually on the truck out for delivery right now, any momennnnnt now, I CANT WAIT!
> 
> People think im crazy spending 350 for a machine that reads books, but i honestly couldn't care less. If i'm happy then fine.
> 
> As for marketing to younger generations, they should first of all make it A) cheaper and B)video capability?


Cheaper?
Video Capability?
I think you are pulling in opposite directions with those two.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I am by no means even close to being a gen Xer.
I read at least one book per week (when re-reading it is more like 2-3).
I always read to my children. First nursery rhymes, then things like Yertle the Turtle (over and over).  Finally I read them things like the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings.  We had maps of both Narnia and Middle Earth - framed.  On the wall so we could go look where the story was.
Each of my children asked for and wore-out their own copies of LOTR.
Do they read as much as I do now?  No. My youngest comes close. But they all read much more than the national average.  So what I am trying to say is that a lot has to do with how one's parents approached reading.  My mother read a lot but not as much as she would have liked - however she left me with the permanent opinion that books are precious.
I am curious about the "bringing up" of our 20somethings here.  Were you read to?
Were there books always in your house? 
I think that the Internet stirs imagination rather than limiting it, just look at us on this board.
You can view MP4s on iPhones and the like. Also listen to MP3s. So don't need a Kindle for that - right? But for a reading experience, you need something like e-ink and the "invisibleness" that Jeff Bezos talked about.  But do you, the 20s, agree?


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## cjpatrick (Jan 4, 2009)

I wasn't read to a whole lot as a kid. I did, however, have a mandated 1-2 hours of reading a day. Anything I wanted, with no censorship whatsoever. That is what kindled my love for literature. My stepmother, who I call mom at this point, has been around since I was about four and she brought books into our house. She had an entire Stephen King collection in hardback. She is also the one that forced us to read every day. I was pretty spiteful at first, but the sheer awesomeness of getting to read "It" when you're 8 or 9 cooled my anger. I didn't understand alot of it, which is probably a good thing, but it let me know there was stuff out there that I found pleasurable to read.


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## KimmyA (Dec 11, 2008)

MichelleR said:


> I think the best endorsement for peers and parents is for them to see your continual use.


I agree. I don't really remember my mother reading to me (I'm sure she did when I was little) but she herself was always reading. She's still an avid reader. I think seeing my mom read a lot kind of encouraged me.

I remember going to the library a lot also.  Oh and I'm 36.

Maybe it's the fact the the kindle is mainly for reading books. Too many gadgets do several things anymore and maybe that's part of the reason younger folks don't like it. It isn't something they can text on or make phone calls from.


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## Edge (Mar 6, 2009)

cjpatrick said:


> 22 myself! I think that the reason a lot of people our age are turned off by reading is the way reading was imposed on us in school. We were forced to read things like "The Scarlet Letter" long before we got to read things we truly enjoyed. Reading is a skill and you can't start off reading that kind of boring dribble. I mean, I absolutely hated reading until I was in college. I couldn't stand the thought of it. I understand older generations had the same reading requirements but they also didn't have a movie theatre in their living room and a library of video games to distract themselves with. We have so many distractions these days that we are very unlikely to give reading another chance once we've been bogged down with it in school. I mean can a 14 year old truly enjoy Dickens or Tolstoy? Give a teenage boy a science fiction novel or an epic fantasy/action/adventure and let him find his way to the classics when he's ready. Girls...well I have no idea what a teenage girl would read, but let her choose too.


This is quite interesting to me. I'm 41 and have been an avid reader from the time I was about 7 until I was 15, and then again from the time I was 19 to 24, and then again within the past year. Why? The first gap was until I discovered girls. The second gap was when my kids were born, and now I'm back to reading for fun because of the kindle. Being a writer, I haven't had much time to read the work of others, and even less desire to carry books around with me. Now, the Kindle made it too easy for me.

Of my three kids, one is dying to get a Kindle. Had she not misbehaved during spring break, she would have had one already, but she'll get one within the next month or so. My other daughter has only recently discovered a love for reading, but only after she started reading things that she was interested in. My son will only read when he has to; nothing more. It's sad, but aside from the little reading I make him do, he doesn't do it on his own. I let him pick his own books, magazines, etc, and he does seem to enjoy the stories, but I think he hasn't built up a proficiency for reading yet.

I was forced to read classics from a very early age, but I learned to love reading through things like Reader's Digest, National Geographic (yes, there's text in there, too!), and the many history books I checked out from the school and neighborhood libraries. I later got into sci-fi from my dad and I haven't looked back since.

I am glad to be back at reading again. I'm about to finish my third book in less than a week and a half of owning a K2, and I can't be happier. I now find myself looking forward to a spare hour here and there to read. The K2 rekindled that desire in me, and for that, I will be forever in its debt.

Back to kids; 1/3 of my kids want one (ages 16, 16, and 14; one of the 16 year olds wants it), and I think that soon that number will rise to 2/3. The girls are hoping that their textbooks will be available via ebook when they start college in two years so that they can carry them all on the Kindle. My son said he'd get one too if that were the case. While he doesn't necessarily want one now, he thinks it's a very cool "thing."


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Edge said:


> Back to kids; 1/3 of my kids want one (ages 16, 16, and 14; one of the 16 year olds wants it), and I think that soon that number will rise to 2/3. The girls are hoping that their textbooks will be available via ebook when they start college in two years so that they can carry them all on the Kindle. My son said he'd get one too if that were the case. While he doesn't necessarily want one now, he thinks it's a very cool "thing."


I'm still hoping for Etextbooks too. There was a rumor months ago that Amazon may create a textbook verison of the kindle (larger screen for tables and so forth), but nothing official came out.


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## love2read (Nov 23, 2008)

I think it's just a matter of personal preference not an age issue. I have a 21 year old daughter and 18 year old son. They both read a lot but neither one will even pick up my Kindle. They both prefer the feel of the actual book and think I'm crazy for spending that much money for an e-book reader. They won't leave home without their cell phones and my daughter carries her laptop in the car all the time but I don't think they would use a kindle even they got one free.

On the other hand I have shown my Kindle to some of their friends who think it's wonderful and would love to have one.

I think it's all just a reading preference not that they don't enjoy reading or an age issue.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

KimmyA said:


> I agree. I don't really remember my mother reading to me (I'm sure she did when I was little) but she herself was always reading. She's still an avid reader. I think seeing my mom read a lot kind of encouraged me.
> 
> I remember going to the library a lot also.  Oh and I'm 36.
> 
> Maybe it's the fact the the kindle is mainly for reading books. Too many gadgets do several things anymore and maybe that's part of the reason younger folks don't like it. It isn't something they can text on or make phone calls from.


When I was a kid, I thought all grown-ups read, because that was true of the adults in my life. I suppose I even saw it as a perk -- the idea that some day I would be able to buy any book I wanted and not have to read hand-me-downs from my mother or grandmother, as well as not having to wait to go to the bookstore or library.

A good portion of money I received as a teen went toward books and my mother was soon asking me if I had anything to read.

I'm not saying I was the most responsible though. My mother has taken up the task of getting my mom's home ready for sale -- I'm not ready to spend too much time there yet -- and he recently tossed a book down and said, "a bit overdue." I took one look at it and remembered checking it out of the junior high library. I think it was due back in 1983-84 and it was this book:



Is it extra, extra wrong to accidentally steal a book where The Crucifixion features heavily?


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I grew up in a reading family. My father hated the tv set and we were very limited in what we watched on TV. Now this was in the time when there wasn't a lot on tv, so we didn't feel like we were missing much. My mother, father and 2 sisters and I read every night. We read as a group or on our own. My mother only had an 8th grade education, but was so educated because of all the reading she did. I loved The Scarlet Letter and other classics, but I always read a variety of books. When I had children of my own I read to them from the time they were born and both my daughter and son love to read. Both of my stepdaughters read as well. So far, my 10 year old grandson is the most interested in reading and if I decide to buy the K2 in a year or so, I'll let him have the K1. He reads lots of fantasy and loves the Harry Potter books. 

I think that the Kindle will actually bring reading back to the younger generation because they are so used to the cell phones, ipods and small video game products. I know that all of my grandchildren seem interested in the Kindle and I hope they all love to read.


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## ZomZom (Feb 17, 2009)

I often have a similar conversation with friends and co-workers and I'm always in the minority opinion, but I think kids are better today than I can ever remember.  Parents are better today, too.  I have to laugh when people want to reminisce of the good ol' days of the 1970s when I grew up.

Maybe I'm hopelessly optimistic but I think even with all of today's problems things are much improved.  Or maybe I'm just traveling in better circles.


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## radiantmeg (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm 28 and have been a reader since I was young.  I devoured books as a kid and all through high school.  My reading dropped drastically when I went to college, as there was a whole lot of required reading.  After my kids were born, I started reading more and I do so love it again!  I was interested to see the reactions of my friends and family when I got my Kindle.....my younger brother is super jealous and wants one of his own and most of my friends think it's pretty cool.  My parents thought it was interesting, but not as much as my peers.


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## cheeki (Nov 29, 2008)

Ok, not sure that I've had the same reactions.... I teach HS and my 15-18 year olds actually said," I know I would read more with one of those kindle things... its like an ipod for books"  another quote, " man I can't wait until all our textbooks get put on something like that"..... 
Most of my HS'ers have not big readers but.... I think this crew that is coming through now are the ones that were helped with the Harry Potter books and the Twilighters.....
my daughter is 25 and she is not a big reader (to my dismay)... She even showed an interest in the kindle   (maybe someday?)


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## MikeD (Nov 5, 2008)

pomlover2586 said:


> ...our younger Gen seems to be a bit preoccupied with S*x, drugs, partying...


Well, I was preoccupied with those same things when I was that age. 



webhill said:


> ...Yes. Yes, a 14 year old can fall in love with Dickens or Tolstoy. I am living proof.


Me too. Add CS Forester to that list.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Because of this thread, we started talking about this at dinner last night. I asked my kids how much they remembered us (my husband and I) reading to them. They both said they remembered us reading to them every night before bed, although they remember their father reading to them more than me (which is true. Something about reading out loud makes me sleepy. I think it has to do with the way I breathe). My daughter noted that this went on for quite a while...until she was in fourth or fifth grade and my husband would be reading chapter books. My son said, "Even though Dad read more, Mom, you were always the best for picking out and buying us really good books." Did that make me feel good! Actually, from 1996-2000 I had a job where I traveled a lot; they were at the age where they always wanted me to bring back a present. I got the idea to always bring back a book about the place I had been to or by a local author. Since I was traveling quite a bit to Denver, my son had a good collection of books about the Rockies and the west.

They also noted that Jim Dale read to them quite a bit...the same 7 books, over and over, multiple times.

I also asked about required reading. My son to read many of the "classics" -- Great Expectations, The Great Gatsby, etc. My daughter's school (she goes to a different HS) has a suggested list with 3 to 7 books. The list comes out twice a year and they have book groups for the books on the list. Things she has read include The Book Thief, Persepolis, The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird, Speak, Things Fall Apart, Heart of Darkness, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

L


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## ricky (Dec 24, 2008)

My mother read to me when I was really little, and also played board games with me.  In the sixth grade, I had a dynamite teacher who spent several hours twice a week reading to us.  We heard "The Secret Garden", "David Copperfield", "Cheaper by the Dozen", "The Good Master", "The Chestry Oak"', among others.  I still reread these books.  Of course, by then, I had devoured the elementary school library, so I was a very willing audience.  I am very happy that our daughter reads to her babies, and is taking up our banner...
Wondering about the Kindle for the young people.  They do like the gadgets, but also I remember the color and B&W illustrations almost as much as the words.


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

I've always been a reader, my sister started reading at 2 and I started at 3 (because I was very good at conning my then 6 year old sister into reading to me).  My parents actually had to argue with me to get me to stop reading.  It would be time to bed, I would claim I needed to go to the bathroom, and an hour later my parents would come check on me and I was still in the bathroom, reading.  

The negative reactions to reading I got in school.  Other kids didn't believe I had already finished the reading assignment (and was therefore reading something else while they still had their reader out) and teachers would complain that I was reading during class (but I knew the material, so why complain?).  When I got older, I got pretty close to some of my teachers.  I frequently already knew the book we were discussing and blazed through summer reading lists.  

My youngest sister-in-law will be a college freshman in the fall (she's 20 years younger then my husband).  She wasn't a big reader as a child until I mentioned to her mother that she might need her eyes checked.  A few months later with a pair of glasses and the discovery of Harry Potter she's a pretty steady reader.  I'd still like her to read more, but she does have other interests.  She likes my K2 and wouldn't mind having one for the fall.  I'm keeping it in mind for a graduation present.

I think we're all going to come across negative reactions.  My mother thinks it's a waste of money for a gadget (she also didn't like the ipod, the computers, the TV, or anything else I spent more then $5 on other then my Civic).  She uses paperback swap.  

I do believe some of the reactions we get are jealousy based, the person can't afford it and instead of being honest and saying "it's neat but out of my price range at least for now" they say something negative.  I have to laugh a bit at some people who go on about how it's just an expensive toy and a waste of money.  I can guarantee the person saying it spends plenty of money on some other hobby I don't have: motorcycles, diving, overseas travel, star wars figurines.  

Lara Amber


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## Avalon3 (Dec 3, 2008)

I just downloaded free Pride & Prejudice.  I want to read all of Jane Austen's classics.  I'm surprised that no one has suggested Jane Austen for the Book Club.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Being a geezerette, I remember reading forever, I don't remember my folks ever reading to me, but I dearly loved fairy tales (still do).  I started baby sitting at 12ish and my aunt could not believe I could baby sit with a book in one hand and an apple (fruit kind) in the other.  I still love to read and even though my brother is an author, he only reads what he writes, my sister reads occasionally, but my cousin (who is taking care of my other K1) is as voracious as I am.  

Once we were stationed in a small town in Wisconsin and the neighbor boy and I were competitors in the library summer reading program.  I remember being furious because he read more than one book at a time, that was cheating   but we tied and both got a certificate.  He is a history professor in a Wisconsin upper-state university.


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## Avalon3 (Dec 3, 2008)

ProfCrash said:


> Many parents allow their kids to watch a ton of tv and play a ton of video games. Maybe if more parents set hard tv and video game limits their kids would find the time to read a book. It drove me nuts as a kid that I could not watch as much tv as my friends but I appreciate those limits now.


I was just talking to my friend about the limited tv channels we had back in the 1960's. A good thing as I would read more. My parent's took all four of us to the library and we all love to read. In middle school my father wasn't happy with my choice of books, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew etc....He thought I should be reading science books, history and dictionaries. I like to read all of those now but not back then.

My 8 year old grandson and his family live with me. Since a young age I have read to him. If left unwatched he would play video games & watch tv. We put limits on how much he can play for the video games. He's an only child but plays with a lot of friends that are into video games. Lately I've downloaded some of the Magic Tree House books that are just becoming available on Kindle. We read them together and I try to put animation into my voice. Last night I told him before we read the book to pretend he was in the tree house. He loves to turn the pages and make the pictures larger. I also let him bookmark the page when we are done.

I have a friend who's kids like to read. A way that she punished them was to make them go in their room and read. I have a lot of friends who like to read but the initial cost of the Kindle is an issue.


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Avalon3 said:


> I just downloaded free Pride & Prejudice. I want to read all of Jane Austen's classics. I'm surprised that no one has suggested Jane Austen for the Book Club.


I would join that book club. I'm a huge Jane Austen fan. Mr. KM is reading _Pride & Prejudice _ right now and loving it. I never thought I'd be able to get him to read it, let alone have him enjoy it!

And for the thread topic - I helped at my DD's jr high yesterday in the Snack Shack - we sell snacks during the lunch periods. I had my Kindle with me to read during the slow times. I've had it with me before but no one commented on it before. Yesterday I demoed it over and over - the kids loved it! I suppose the kids that aren't readers didn't pay attention but from what I could see, most of them were reading/carrying pleasure reading books with them. I think a lot of kids read. If the parents read, the kids will most likely be readers. If not, they really don't stand a chance.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

My nieces and nephews want Kindles now that both of their parents have one. I doubt that my 7 year old niece is going to get a Kindle for her birthday but she is trying.

Kids tend to mimic their parents. If a parent reads a lot and reads to them, the child is likely to read. If the parents read off of a Kindle, the child is likely to associate reading with the Kindle as well as books.


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## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

My daughter is 19 and she loves to read, you aren't alone. She did say that a lot of her friends don't know what it is, and give her weird looks when she explains it to them


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I have been a reader for as long as I can remember. I always carried books with me where ever I went.  From Ramona the Pest, to Hamlet. I was something of an anomaly though, my friends always looked at me funny when I would bow out of whatever shenanigans they were getting into and go grab my book. I recently went to stay with some friends for a visit and when I asked about something to read, as I had finished the two books I brought with me, they offered me a copy of Cosmopolitan. Not quite what I had in mind....
My daughter, 10, now reads just like her mom. She always has a book with her and will pull it out to read any time there is a lull in activity. Even my 18 mo. son loves books! We all read to him everyday!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The 17 year old and 15 year old granddaughters read constantly, both want my Kindle.  The 14 and 9 year old grandsons, not so much.  And all love video games and computers.

Betsy


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## mominsky (Feb 23, 2009)

I am 23, and i must say, i always HATED reading.  However, i have always gotten those emails from Borders with coupons every single week, and kept seeing stories that interested me - so one day about 2 years ago, i said to my fiance at the time, "lets go to borders and pick up a book - i want to start reading, they say it is good for you"....and ever since, i LOVE it - i equate the books i read to watching the best episode you could imagine of a show like Law and Order - something i cant wait to watch every week.  I dont know what sparked the interest to me, but i just wanted to read all the sudden, and i love it....
Also, i must mention, i work in IT - i play video games (and bought myself a Playstation 3), i play the piano, and i love watching TV - so i dont think it is a matter of there being other things to do - i juust think of it like anything else...some people love broccoli, and some dont...well some love reading and some dont - just cause i have lots of steak doesnt stop me from eating broccoli if i like it....and just cause i have a playstation and play games, doesnt stop me from reading.

still no kindle yet though.....DYING to buy one, but cut backs at my job have made it cost prohibitive for right now


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

mominsky said:


> I am 23, and i must say, i always HATED reading. However, i have always gotten those emails from Borders with coupons every single week, and kept seeing stories that interested me - so one day about 2 years ago, i said to my fiance at the time, "lets go to borders and pick up a book - i want to start reading, they say it is good for you"....and ever since, i LOVE it - i equate the books i read to watching the best episode you could imagine of a show like Law and Order - something i cant wait to watch every week. I dont know what sparked the interest to me, but i just wanted to read all the sudden, and i love it....
> Also, i must mention, i work in IT - i play video games (and bought myself a Playstation 3), i play the piano, and i love watching TV - so i dont think it is a matter of there being other things to do - i juust think of it like anything else...some people love broccoli, and some dont...well some love reading and some dont - just cause i have lots of steak doesnt stop me from eating broccoli if i like it....and just cause i have a playstation and play games, doesnt stop me from reading.


Mominsky - keep checking the Buy board here, or Amazon, or even e-bay for a good price, they are out there. If you are loving to read now, just you wait  In the meantime stick around here it's a very nice place to be 



> still no kindle yet though.....DYING to buy one, but cut backs at my job have made it cost prohibitive for right now


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## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

I'm 25 and I was not much of a reader until the age of 23 and a half or so. And because of the Kindle, I do more reading. But you are right, a huge chunk of Generation Y are more into video games, I-Pods, Social Networking, etc.


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## LSbookend (Dec 22, 2008)

NessaBug said:


> All that being said, when I was in high school and college, I read so much for class, I never read for fun.


I know what you mean you read so much for class that reading becomes this thing you dread because you know you have to have x amount of pages read by xx date. Deadlines are not enjoyable.

But the trick is to expose kids to "fun" books. Think about how many kids (some are now adults) started reading with the HP series or now with the Twilight series. The books they read in school may not be to their likes. They may like reading, but not know it because of what they associated it with.


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## miscbuff (Mar 26, 2009)

I joined just to respond to this.  I am also 22 (for a few more days) and love the Kindle (received it as an early gift for my birthday).  When I asked my Dad for it however, he said, "why do you want that, that's for old people."  I still do not know why he believes this.  Every person my age that I have shown the Kindle to immediately wants one.  My fiance, who was ready to hate it, especially for the flash, ordered one the day after I received mine.  I wanted it particularly because it gives me the chance to read more. 
I think most of the aversion to the Kindle is the price (especially when they could get a netbook for the same price) and that you can't go to a store and play with one before ordering.  Also, many are waiting for the technology to "mature," knowing that color e-ink is just around the corner.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Still I can understand why my classmates are wearily of making a kindle purchase, but I still see them spend a LOT on name brand clothes and accessories


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

miscbuff said:


> I joined just to respond to this. I am also 22 (for a few more days) and love the Kindle (received it as an early gift for my birthday). When I asked my Dad for it however, he said, "why do you want that, that's for old people." I still do not know why he believes this. Every person my age that I have shown the Kindle to immediately wants one. My fiance, who was ready to hate it, especially for the flash, ordered one the day after I received mine. I wanted it particularly because it gives me the chance to read more.
> I think most of the aversion to the Kindle is the price (especially when they could get a netbook for the same price) and that you can't go to a store and play with one before ordering. Also, many are waiting for the technology to "mature," knowing that color e-ink is just around the corner.


Welcome to KB miscbuff.
It is great to have "lurkers" joinup and post. Glad this thread enticed you.
I agree about the price threshold being a problem. It is for me too and my youngest daughter is your age. But I felt that the K2 had provided just enough improvements to my "wishlist" of features (some of which I may never use) that pushed me into adopting this technology now. I feel that netbooks are too "clumsy" as are even iPhones - for me. And I wanted the eink and the thiness-almost pagesize. I don't read in color - except for manga and comics (gotta have my Daredevil fix). But an awful lot of Manga is in black and white anyway. So for me color only works for the National Geographic and Smithsonian and some other graphic mags. Otherwise I can do without. I have found that I cannot read the maps on some fantasy novels in the paperback size anyway.
But you opinions enrich this discussion.
Thanks again for joining and posting.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

Welcome miscbuff! Happy to have you with us!


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