The Stereotypes of Reading
When I was a child, parents encouraged their youngsters to broaden their horizons and enhance their intellectual development through reading books. However, as the globe shifted its focus towards academic excellence and equated ‘success’ with having a lucrative and prestigious job, parents gradually pushed their children to do “something more useful”. The old emphasis placed upon reading was substituted with acquiring work experience, participating in competitions, and studying feverishly. Simply put, the artworks of humanity have lost their place in the world. Yet, being the inattentive and self-absorbed child I was, I never gave much thought on how reading had become stereotypically negative. It was only when I was mocked and called a “nerd” for reading that I truly perceived this shift. Why has this once acclaimed cognitive process been reduced to what it is now?
Perhaps the traditional ideology of “Boys should be active; Girls should be quiet” shapes what reading represents for different genders. Even now, when globalization has supposedly exported more progressive ideas, society still classifies the arts as a predominantly feminine domain. Reading is deemed as a quiet and inherently feminine activity, which is potentially contributing to the lack of men that vocally express their love of reading. According to the study “Do Girls Read Better Than Boys? If So, Gender Stereotypes May Be to Blame”, boys who upheld the stereotype that girls have more advanced reading abilities were more likely to have lower levels of self-esteem and were less motivated to excel in their studies. Indeed, only 31% of English Literature degrees are awarded to males in America.
Book genres perpetuate this stereotype further as romance novels, in particular, are broadly classified as being written by women, for women. Traditionally they contain covers that have bed sheets or topless men and plots with a vulnerable female protagonist who is waiting to be protected by a man. Conversely, sci-fi or history-related books are classed as “manly” as the generally fact-based nature of these texts signals a degree of knowledge and reliability. Both of these prejudices contribute to the alienation and discomfort felt by men who struggle to admit their interest in non-traditional texts like romance novels. Surprisingly, an individual’s preferred genres can also be used to assume their educational level. In an interview setting, one undoubtedly appears to be more “sophisticated” if they are interested in classics like Great Expectations and Pride and Prejudice instead of Young Adult publications such as Twilight or The Fault in Our Stars.
In the era of globalization, when platforms such as social media and movies are omnipresent, those that prefer to immerse themselves in the world of books rather than interacting with others are labelled as introverts and “nerds”. While it is undeniable that many introverts like reading because it gives them a chance to communicate solely with the book’s narrative (I mean- sitting in a corner with a hot drink and a delicious book sounds like a dream!), there is no direct association between the love of reading and being an introvert. People read books for a variety of reasons; some use them for emotional support whilst others see them as an opportunity for a bit of “me-time”. Scully, the author of Black & Bookish, puts it nicely: “There is no competition between your bookish needs and your sanity”.
It is of the utmost importance that we stop basing our perceptions of reading on stereotypes that are no longer valid today. We should all appreciate each other's preferences with an open and supportive mind as, ultimately, we are all bookish in our own wonderful ways.