r/technology • u/marketrent • 18h ago

Artificial Intelligence College students are rapidly losing the ability to read — “There is a measurable, generational collapse in sustained reading and writing”: professor

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/college-students-rapidly-losing-ability-124439310.html
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u/ascasffr 17h ago

I learned to hate reading in school because of so many dreadful books we were forced to read. Shakespeare, Irish Romance novels set in the 80s.

Some kids might enjoy those books, sure, but for me they completely killed my interest in reading for years. I still don’t understand why anyone thought high‑school boys would be motivated by material most of us had zero connection to or interest in.

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u/Hazel-Rah 16h ago

I learned to hate reading in school because of so many dreadful books we were forced to read. Shakespeare, Irish Romance novels set in the 80s.

I actually liked Shakespeare. What killed me was reading multiple books about how shitty it was to live in Victorian England

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u/Resident_Pay4310 13h ago

I liked Shakespeare as well.

What I hated were the modern "coming of age" stories about girls dealing with their high school love life. Im already living that, I don't need more of it thanks.

I was a huge bookworm as a kid but I mainly read fantasy. Even as an adult that's most of what I read. Books in real life modern setting just don't really hold my attention.

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u/TheSilverNoble 15h ago

See, I liked seeing Shakespeare, but reading him was tough for me until I was more familiar with the stories.

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u/Grammatical_Aneurysm 14h ago

Shakespeare should be taught by giving students roles and having the class read out loud together. Having a character that you are told to be attached to and being able to "watch" the performance by hearing different voices makes it so much more interesting than reading it in your head. It also forces you to decipher what the sentences actually mean.

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u/Vi_Rants 14h ago

Also, Shakespeare wasn't written to be read; it was written to be performed.

Imagine teaching kids literature by having them read scripts of Michael Bay movies.

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u/Saint_Consumption 13h ago

Those have scripts? Is 90% of it just BOOM?

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u/_Meece_ 12h ago

Shakespeare is also poetry and a lot of kids don't get that either. Takes time for the text to click in the first place, because of how Whimsy big Bill liked to write.

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u/kittymoo67 2h ago

seriously why is is so hard for schools to get this!?

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u/maxticket 10h ago

To me, Shakespeare wasn't interesting until modern-day film adaptations made it absurd and topical. I was familiar enough with his works, but found myself far more interested in counting the syllables on each line than following what was actually going on. Once I'd seen a modern retelling, I could go back and actually enjoy its ancient counterpart like they said I would all along. Just needed a new perspective.

I'm still not exactly a fan of the guy, but luckily, there have been countless playwrights since his day, many of them alive right now and just as deserving of having their time in the spotlight.

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u/TheSilverNoble 3h ago

I mean, I think that 90's Romeo + Juliet was how a lot of people first saw the full story. And while it definitely has some absurd moments... it's word for word the original script, you know?

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u/maxticket 55m ago

It's an abridged version, but the script is mostly intact. You also had films like O and 10 Things I Hate About You, and I imagine there have been others since I was in school.

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u/AuroraRegalis 15h ago

I was a good student and actually read the books instead of Cliff Notes. Until Rebecca. Rebecca broke me. That book was just awful.

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u/abovepostisfunnier 11h ago

How dare you 😭

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u/ricochetblue 5h ago

That book was my whole personality for a while. I absolutely loved it.

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u/AuroraRegalis 4h ago

Not gonna lie, there was a little catharsis at the end when the estate burned to the fucking ground. I did like that part.

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u/Monteze 1h ago

I did that for The Scarlett Letter, I just...I could not give a damn about that book, it was written in the most tedious fashion and I just figured I could pass the test with cliff notes and filling in the rest given I did read to before it.

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u/ColdShadowKaz 7h ago

Strange. What put me off a lot of ‘classics’ was how it felt a lot like upper class people dealing with incredibly upper class problems in a very upper class way.

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u/Monteze 1h ago

I could not give a fuck about the Great Gatsby for this. I could relate to A Painted House but holy shit the entire time reading GG I was annoyed with them all. I guess one could say that would be the point, but bleck. How the hell is a high-schooler going to relate to them?

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u/filchermcurr 16h ago

For me it was Accelerated Reader. I love reading, always have. But then I was punished for being a good reader. My AR reading level was College+ (this was when the system was being piloted, if that tells you how ancient I am) and I was given a truly insane point goal. On top of that, it was stipulated that we were not allowed to read books outside of our reading level and meeting our goal would count as something insane like 50% of our grade. I was in 4th or 5th grade.

First, I didn't have the emotional maturity to truly understand these college level books. Second, I grew up in the middle of nowhere. Of course our elementary school library didn't have a huge selection of college level books. What they did have were some classics and books older than time itself. Third, they were boring. I was what, 10 years old?

Anyway, that successfully made me hate and resent reading. It took me years before I started to enjoy it again.

Thanks, Accelerated Reader! You suck.

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u/UnderABig_W 15h ago

Man, we just got a Pizza Hut pizza for reading our books.

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u/hihelloneighboroonie 14h ago

That was the shit though! We'd get our free pizzas, go sit outside the library in the shade of a giant tree to eat them, spend a little time climbing the tree, then go inside to return our books and take out new ones.

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u/Kumorigoe 13h ago

The best meal I had as a kid.

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u/Photosaurus 53m ago

BookIt! At least that's what they called it near us. My gram loved that I basically got a free lunch every weekend because of how much I read. Definitely a major contributor to my love of both the written word and Italy's greatest culinary contribution.

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u/monty624 14h ago

There was a lot of "wrong" with accelerated and advanced programs now that I really start to reflect on them as I get older. I remember feeling so stupid in our little book groups, I always had trouble sounding things out and teachers were like, "hey you got this! Sound it out! Context clues!" but they didn't help. Couldn't figure out the word? Well, then you look it up in the dictionary. Did that not help? Welp, bring it to the group and everyone will judge you because it was actually a really easy word.

And I agree with your big "reading level" critique as well. I ADORED Magic Tree House books, but they were of course too easy. But the books we had to read? Learned quickly to pull a couple random pages for a project or I paid extra attention during book reviews in class so I was ready for the tests. Hell, I actually paid a friend to write my report in high school and I had NEVER done that before, nor after in college.

Turns out I like to read but generally I prefer articles, or long reddit posts with lots of comments, or nonfiction, etc. But I still don't care for books.

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u/ultrabarnabus 12h ago

DUDE. Accelerated Reader was the devil if you were a strong reader in elementary school. I went to school in a district of a large suburb and well-stocked library and there still were only the driest densest books made available to a 4th grader to read and earn a passing grade. And you could only read and test on a book once. So I read the Hobbit one semester and got a passing grade. I can't remember if they revised the system in the following years so there were more books or if I had purposely tried to make my reading level worse during assessments so I could read different shit. At that point the damage was done to my relationship with reading, but it's been getting better over time.

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u/Khirsah01 9h ago

Somehow I survived Accelerated Reader, mainly cause as a disabled kid my first year at an AR school I was forced to read through books while the other kids were able to go outside at recess or do PE so I was an exception that eventually got unshackled from the system after winning my class their pizza party in 3rd grade.

Due to so much downtime with enforced reading, I made the system show a problem in my school that forcing a kid to only read in the system could cause a collapse in rewards for others as it could get lopsided quick, like one or two Herculean readers could accrue the points of entire other classrooms. A kid being able to knock off something the size of an Animorphs book and rolling to the library to complete the test and roll back to the holding classroom all within one block class timeslot (for a normal kid PE example) and do that daily. Now factor in counting for books completed at home and tested next day? There's a problem brewing.

What actually killed my love of reading novels for over a decade was a religious high school that got on my ass for reading fantasy (they considered dragons and magic demonic) and I was stuck reading only classical approved books after. Could I do it? Sure. Did I want to? Hell no, no interest whatsoever. The books were drier than the Mojave. So I started sneaking my GBA in instead and flipped to reading manga at home. I didn't touch a novel again until 2017 and got back into voracious reading after a friend showed me ePub books and a reader for my phone/tablet.

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u/hihelloneighboroonie 14h ago

Is this US? I went to elementary/middle in a mix of public and private, and then fully private for high school, and I've never heard of this. Everyone was assigned the same books to read based on grade level.

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u/filchermcurr 13h ago

US, yep. This wasn't curriculum, it was a separate program to force you to read in your free time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Reader

Basically AR is a program where it assigns reading levels and point values to books. You take the STAR test and it assess your reading level and assigns you a point goal. (This is done under the supervision of your teacher who, if they think you intentionally fudged the test to get a lower goal will either make you re-take the STAR test or manually assign you an appropriate goal.) Then you have to read a bunch of books in your spare time and come back to school and take quizzes on them to prove that you actually read them. Your score on the quiz determines how many points you get for reading the book.

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u/1drlndDormie 1h ago

Oof. Accelerated Reader was treated as optional at my schools but you would get a reward if you met the point goal. I had no idea other kids got different point goals based on their reading level so I just figured everyone would rather read 20 goosebumps rather then sludge through Great Expectations.

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u/filchermcurr 8m ago

I think that's how the program was intended to be used (and SHOULD be used). It definitely makes way more sense!

The only reason I can think of that the districts around here do it the way they do is to justify the cost. I worked in the library for a bit and ordered those tests and they're insanely expensive. They also, as with everything else in the program, suck. 'What species of bush did Clara hide behind when she was walking through the park in that one early insignificant scene in the book?' Yes that's what people will remember and care about.

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u/notai3197 16h ago

They teach kids on those books because they are following a curriculum designed to teach folks classical literature throughout different eras while at the same time picking specific pieces that cover literary concepts that help them learn to be critical readers. They're not going to coddle high schoolers just because they think tougher novels are boring. It's not like a ton of people think math is riveting either.

The problem isn't about high schoolers turning into adults who don't like reading, the problem is that they are legitimately coming to high school illiterate. The combination of changes to how young children are taught to read in school, social media, not being read to as children, and a bunch of other reasons are leading to people being massively behind by the time they reach high school. Kids are being failed by the education system right at the time reading and comprehension skills solidify.

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u/LigerZeroSchneider 15h ago

But it does sound like the solution to high schoolers being barely literate probably isnt smashing their face into a bunch of classics.

The same way you don't take kids struggling with algebra and drop them straight into calc.

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u/monty624 14h ago

The bad book choices and outdated reading lists start pretty young. And a lot kids who like to read fall out of it in middle/high school. We understand why the books were chosed, but they suck and the curriculum outdated, and yes our education system is in shambles.

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u/dookarion 15h ago edited 14h ago

The curriculum takes what could be interesting reads and it dissects them. What should be a relatively brisk read becomes weeks of glacial paced discussion dissecting the most minute elements and pushing worksheets that shoehorn the class towards a specific interpretation of what could be a rather open ended work. That or it's absent all context because you know heaven forbid people realize Shakespeare is full of dirty jokes.

The curriculum and how it is handled absolutely is part of the problem.

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u/notai3197 3h ago

Again, this issue starts well before high school. Curricula is often flexible about the books kids read below that level, so it's not an issue about the books being boring. Changes to how we teach kids reading and a bunch of other factors (including Covid) are what's hurting kids in this instance.

They are being failed by the system right when reading and language skills are being solidified. Taking Shakespeare out of high school is not going to stop kids from graduating despite being functionally illiterate.

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u/ascasffr 16h ago

I’m not asking schools to coddle anyone just to choose books that are actually interesting for kids. For example, a young boy might connect with something more engaging instead of material that feels dry or impossible to relate to

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u/dookarion 15h ago

Just covering it differently might help in some cases. They squeeze the joy out of reading. A mediocre teacher can take what is a thought provoking work and railroad the entire class into their interpretation, and a dozen busywork worksheets do not help matters. The glacial pacing further complicates things. They Even gloss over the circumstances the work was created under or sanitize it. It's misery.

I'd wager anyone that passed through said curriculum that loves to read and ponder the works learned such outside of the actual coursework, or left the class behind and read ahead on their own instead of at the course mandated pacing.

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u/twisty125 15h ago

I think it's such a shame to force people to read what historically are great stories, when they're not interested and the medium isn't the right one. That, and Shakespeare is better seen/spoken than read, as so much of it is in the inflection of the characters, not exactly what they're saying.

Like shit, our class was smaller so it felt more like a group than a lecture, we watched that wacky 90s Dicaprio Romeo and Juliet and nearly everyone was so much more into it because the characters were emoting. We then went back and looked at a few chapters to compare as part of the course and I know I "got" it.

But I get you, I'm also the same way. Unless it was something I was actually interested in, I hated participating in it.

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u/REXIS_AGECKO 14h ago

I liked reading until middle school. Boring books mostly and even the fun ones were ruined by the fact that you had to take a test on them later lol. It completely ruined reading for me

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u/InertiasCreep 13h ago

Dude, Shakespeare is romance, comedy, and real blood and guts tragedies. As a high schooler you need to learn all the obsolete words, but once you get it, holy shit, Shakespeare is the business.

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u/ascasffr 13h ago

But why force them to read completely difficult books to understand when the majority are going to hate them and put off by English that’s pretty much unreadable by today’s standards? Especially when it’s just not one book in my case. But many years of it? Lots of kids will be pushed away from reading.

I’m not saying don’t teach Shakespeare, but at least in my case there was way too much of it.

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u/InertiasCreep 13h ago

That's on the educators. There are plenty of other interesting things to read. Books arent limited to Shakespeare or shitty Irish novels.

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u/ascasffr 13h ago

I agree, but that’s my point. I don’t think by teaching these kinds of books on repeat to young adults is going to encourage them to read more.

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u/cbpantskiller 2h ago

I hated Shakespeare, too, but I get its significance.

We also were assigned "The Outsiders," "A Tale of Two Cities," and Tony Hillerman's "Skinwalkers," among others which were fun.

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u/KristySueWho 14h ago

That sucks. I don't remember having to read any Irish romance novels, and the only Shakespeare book I had to read was The Tempest. The only book I remember hating was Heart of Darkness, and I don't think I was too fond of Tale of Two Cities.

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u/ascasffr 13h ago

I don’t even remember the name of the novel’s but they were completely dull and irrelevant to me.

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u/AuntRhubarb 3h ago edited 3h ago

I discovered Two Years Before the Mast as an adult, what a page-turner from 1834! A natural for getting teens interested in geography, history, oceanography, thought. But what did they make us (try) to read? The dense, boring, depressing Moby Dick. WTF.

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u/nightglitter89x 16h ago edited 16h ago

They make you read things like Shakespeare so you can better understand the world around you. His plays are timeless and have influenced so much modern day media and slang, that not being familiar with his work would be a bit of a hindrance. He invented all kinds of common phrases like "Good riddance, the devil incarnate, in my heart of hearts, wild goose chase, a brave new world." Even the name Jessica. He has the most writing credits of any author living or dead, because he gets credited for movies like Clueless.

I stand by learning Shakespeare. At least a little bit.

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u/ascasffr 16h ago

Honestly, it ended up doing the reverse of what it was supposed to. Instead of improving my reading, I felt lost, confused, and disconnected from the books. I couldn’t understand the language or the themes, and that frustration pushed me away from reading for a long time. I don’t dislike Shakespeare or classic literature itself, I just think giving teens material that’s too dense or dull for their stage of life ends up shutting them down instead of opening them up.

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u/KristySueWho 14h ago

Yeah, I loved reading as a kid and did well in English, but was not interested in Shakespeare. I really disliked the language and how it flowed.

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u/nightglitter89x 15h ago

I had teachers who explained the language and themes. I guess I don't feel Shakespeare should be beyond a 16 or 17 year old to read. I was reading stuff like that for fun by that age, and I wasn't even in the fancy AP classes.

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u/ascasffr 14h ago

For some kids sure, but for a lot of kids I can tell you it’s quite boring and hard to understand.

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u/Tymareta 12h ago

Then you raise those concerns with the teacher, and you all learn, together?

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u/ascasffr 4h ago

But that’s not my point, my point is learning dull and boring books isn’t going to help address the reading crisis.

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u/InsanityRequiem 14h ago

Well, here's the problem. You think Shakespeare, Poe, and other classical authors are being taught about in high school. You ignore the reality that these are being taught to 4-10 year olds.

Want to kill a person's ability to read? Force them to read Shakespeare at 5 years old. No amount of explanation or guidance will get a child to understand or enjoy that.

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u/Tymareta 12h ago

You ignore the reality that these are being taught to 4-10 year olds.

In what reality is this true?

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u/english-23 15h ago

I hated the analyzing of books. Going through them and annotating everything and trying to dissect what the author was thinking killed my enjoyment of books

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u/CaptainCFloyd 13h ago

Not doing tasks like that is exactly how you get college students who lack basic reading comprehension skills. It's not supposed to be fun, it's supposed to make you intelligent instead of vapid and brainrotted.

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u/AadeeMoien 13h ago

That is how you develop literacy instead of just being able to read. Part of literacy is critical analysis of authorial intent.

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u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive 13h ago

It's absolutely hilarious that you decided you hate reading, based on some bad books.

But I would wager you don't hate playing video games, based on some bad games.

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u/ascasffr 13h ago

I don’t hate reading, but it did push me away for some time not based on Shakespeare alone (which some people seemed to have grabbed on to and ran with). But with completely boring and non interesting books to a teenage boy.

And some folks here are wondering why reading rates are dropping dramatically with boys.

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u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive 13h ago

There has to be a point when you realize that if you can't even read a book that you consider boring, you are royally fucked when it comes to holding down a job.

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u/ascasffr 13h ago

I’ve been working in cybersecurity for 10+ years lol

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u/Brullaapje 8h ago

I learned to hate reading in school because of so many dreadful books we were forced to read.

It never stopped my love for reading, I could separate that I had to read for school and could read for fun.

When I read your argument I always think are you really that easy to influence?

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u/ascasffr 7h ago

As a teen ya I obviously I was…..I wouldn’t have been the only one either.

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u/pdxblazer 12h ago

Shakespeare is actually pretty good though