Why Don't More Teens Read YA?

I've recently read some pretty astonishing figures (to me at least) that half of YA books are bought by adults. It's crazy because YA seems to be blossoming, but not because teens are more into books than ever.

I grew up reading a lot of books, and I've always wondered why other people don't do the same. I know logically that some people feel the same way about reading as I do about movies- usually an awful experience, except for some special cases. I know it's an intense time commitment that most people my age aren't prepared to make often. 

Maybe most teens are too busy on social media or browsing YouTube videos endlessly to read a book. It could be that school is killing all free time (in some cases, it actually is) and teens need to relax with something that doesn't make them think. 

I've had a lot of people ask me how I read so fast. The truth is, I don't actually read that fast. If you were to time how long it takes me to read a page, it's honestly nothing impressive. The difference is that I started out reading in loud places, and learned how to focus single-mindedly on the task at hand. I don't often reread because I make sure to pay attention the first time, and I know that's something a lot of non-bookish people have trouble with. 


The other side of the coin is that teens read much more than you'd think. I read so much that sometimes I underestimate my peers that don't have a book with them at all times. People that read less are so much more picky with what they read, because it's more rare for them to have a book and they want it to be a great experience. 


It shouldn't be as shocking as it was to hear the other day that The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is circulating among classmates. I've been telling everyone to read this book for a long time now, but it's only now that the casual readers at my school are getting into it. It's actually a very strong domino effect. 

One person read it, gushed about it to another, maybe someone else then read it, and all of a sudden it becomes something everybody is doing. This reaffirms my belief that it's very rare for people to actually hate reading. Most people just haven't found the right book. 

As a book blogger and book lover, I try to push books at people who I think would like them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It does feel nice to discuss a book with a friend who read it just because you told them to, and they loved it. 

So what do you think? Are other people more bookish than we think? Why don't teens read more?

-P.E.


8 comments:

  1. I'm wondering if it reflects the fact that YA books are bought by more adults than teens for financial reasons? Now if the stat suggests that more YA books are read by adults, then that's a different ball game altogether. And I definitely concur. The thing is, YA books are easy reads than adult fiction - that's what I find anyway.

    Great post!

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    1. You can read more about the facts here but the study says that 55% of buyers are 18 & up, and of those, 78% are buying books for themselves. It's really interesting though. I wonder what the statistics for libraries would be.

      -P.E.

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  2. I have to put myself back into my teen years. I never read when I was a teen. I read all the way through 8th grade and a little bit into 9th grade but then boyfriends and social life took over. I didn't pick up another book until I turned 22. Well a book for enjoyment. I was busy and it just wasn't for me. I don't regret it... I just had other priorities at the time.

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    1. I think that's how a lot of people feel. Obviously, books have always been a priority of mine. They help keep me calm and have some perspective on what's happening in my life. It's interesting though to see how reading habits change.

      -P.E.

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  3. For us, there just wasn't enough time to read as teens. School work, extracurriculars, sibling responsibilities, etc. took up our entire day. We still made time for the occasional book, but not nearly as much as we would have liked.

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    1. That is a pretty common reason. I'm a little curious though. The older I get, the less time I feel like I have. Does that stop at any point?

      -P.E.

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  4. As a person who spends a lot of time around teens, I can tell you that they are too busy. High school is way more demanding than when I was in school, and you're right -- there are SO many more distractions these days. I think that the book world should be really glad that there are adults who have time to read YA...
    Jen @ YA Romantics

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    1. Yeah, every night is like a "pick your priorities" thing! I love it though. I feel like part of the fun is that when you pick something to really pursue, the lack of time adds so much more value to it. I think YA is definitely blossoming in part because of all the adults that read it.

      -P.E. @ The Sirenic Codex

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What do you think?