America's #1 Problem (RANT!!!)

[@IntelexualMedia]

5 Tips For Reading More: 1. Start small. Commit to a few sentences, then a paragraph, then a few pages, and then a chapter. Start out weekly and go from there. 2. Yes, audiobooks count. Switch between hard copies and audiobooks if your eyes or ears need a break. 3. SCRIBD! I live and die by this site. It's only 8.99-11.99 per month and you get hella e-books, articles, and audiobooks included with your sub 4. When reading non-fiction, stop every few paragraphs to think about what you've read. Don't be afraid to re-read or take notes. Check out alternative points of view on the topic, too. 5. When it comes to fiction, pick fun/good things to read. You dont have to read someone else's classic or literary fave to feel like a "good" reader. If it's "trashy", ENJOY! You're still strengthening your brain to be powerful for when it's time to read important non-fiction things. Bonus: Subscribe to my patreon for source lists and reading lists

[@kjs9]

I was just thinking about reading more natural/old school books. Were in sync

[@56jklove]

what about e books, so you dont count online articles. i agree with the video somewhat, its just the spread of information comes in a new form.

[@salishanmusic]

@@56jkloveReread the list 👍🏼

[@kjs9]

@@salishanmusic the irony of this comment 🤣

[@segara04]

I commit to a chapter a day. Just went back through How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Dr. Crystal Fleming (she deserves flowers for her writing style in that book). I have a few more to go through but I am also a student focusing on race so that says something.

[@raquellewallace]

"Have you noticed in online spaces that a lack of comprehension causes hostile misunderstandings and aggression?" A RESOUNDING YES.

[@FuzzyKittenBoots]

And people get mad even when you AGREE with them?!

[@tansbizarreadventure]

FRRRR

[@diegopinon5275]

Mike Tyson had something to say about that “The internet got people way used too talking crap and not getting punched in the face for it” There’s actually a logic to it. I bet if you met those people in real life and challenged their views, they’d step back. But behind the internet there is no recourse, no consequences for saying anything and nobody to challenge you. You can say whatever you want.

[@enfisu586]

A subconscious attempt to protect their credibility by discrediting perceived threats to it. An unfortunate instinctual relic.

[@Janna_Ash]

The lack of comprehension kills me. And then what drives me crazy is that so few people can actually humble themselves, and admit that they misread or misunderstood. Folks like to double down and stay wrong smh.

[@dalenewton8804]

“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.” ― Mark Twain

[@potatopirate5557]

Unless they're on a road trip with no gps, or walking thru the woods and they encounter a sign that reads, "Danger: ahead is a flame farting swamp full of quicksand... and tar... and rodents of unusual size." ...then one guy has a definite advantage. 😉

[@TonishaMitchell]

​@@potatopirate5557😭😭🤣😭🤣😭

[@douglassmith5232]

Is it because of or in spite of?, No man is a island

[@atomictraveller]

read charlotte iserbyt, reagan's secretary of education. "the deliberate dumbing down of america" she was from a 322 "skull and bones" fam. and maybe she would make you think about your big old ma$onic fam. unless of course, they tell you.. "nah... it ain't us..." in which case, you obey like a weak minded crumb. forever. free west papua.

[@dalenewton8804]

@@vandiemansoul2056 Maybe so, sill doesn't make it less true.

[@r.a.l.p.h]

When people think illiteracy they think it’s about people not knowing how to read Pete the cat or spell their name. We’re talking about comprehension skills which is the reason why so many Americans are IGNANT.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

:)

[@imani7979]

it’s so frustrating trying to discuss any form of media nowadays because people simply refuse to engage with the deeper themes, symbolism and metaphors in said media. i hate engaging in fandoms for this very reason. i’m a part of many yet dislike the prevailing narratives within the vast majority of them.

[@Worthless1010]

​@@imani7979 It's no wonder the vast majority of mainstream Fandom media on KZbin seems to be factual recounts and surface level information.

[@JVSfit23]

Ignant. Yes I’m here for it.

[@1savannahlegend247]

Ironically that very misunderstanding alone is a common form of illiteracy

[@kevinghost7211]

Common sense , nuance, lack of critical thinking , comprehension and irrational thought is what’s killing us

[@jacklynnmjackson2383]

Ya kind of conflated there.😮

[@kevinghost7211]

@@jacklynnmjackson2383 yea your right I see what your saying

[@jacklynnmjackson2383]

@@kevinghost7211 ✌️

[@jelaninoel]

Social media is what’s killing us more than anything

[@ramachandrathe3rd948]

Ok but sigma?🤑

[@jasminehill6312]

I’m a Black woman who majored in English in undergrad. There were only 3 of us. I love to read and if more people would stop being so lazy and pick up a book, they’d realize how much they do not know.

[@joejett5084]

Maybe apart of the problem is a comment a person made to me years ago and it 😂😂 blew my mind that this is how some people think. He said what’s the point of reading books and gaining knowledge if you’re not making money from it. 😂😂😂😂

[@jasminehill6312]

🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️

[@chloelincoln9095]

@@joejett5084 like huh 🙃 people like that you just have to let them figure it out on their own

[@crowncliff]

I was a black dude with a lit major who often found himself one of two black people and usually the only black male in a class.

[@jasminehill6312]

Yeah! And there were no Black guys in my major

[@kalka1l]

As someone in a town that (again!) voted against establishing a library, support your local library.

[@pisceanbeauty2503]

That’s sad.

[@michellepittman7886]

My favorite weekend spot!!! The library is an excellent resource for social/educational activities as well as reading material.

[@CassieJazz96]

Period.

[@Shay416]

Honestly same...its exhausting, the world we've created

[@ShinyTillDawn]

There are people that vote for politicians who don't support them in other ways, such as gutting their earned benefits (medicaid).

[@DeeDaKaang1]

It was illegal in southern states to teach the enslaved to read, because enslavers (who may not have all been functionaly literate themselves) knew 1 thing. Once a person is able to read the truth, they are mentally knowlonger bound.

[@IntelexualMedia]

Period!

[@danbeaulieu2130]

"Education makes a man unfit to be a slave" F Douglas

[@cadymoore570]

Love your play on words

[@miram2053]

*enslaved

[@DeeDaKaang1]

@@miram2053 good point, just because someone owns me doesn't mean I'm a slave....Enslaved is a space of being while slave is a state of mind.

[@janisaintil5345]

“People are having passionate opinions and debates on things without knowing what the f*ck they are talking about” I have noticed this more and more due to social media being more prevalent in our daily lives. People will state their opinions as if it’s fact and the concerning part is that we have people who regurgitate it. I hope that we can push people to start reading and doing thorough research (both bias and unbiased) before forming and publicizing their opinions.

[@ShinyTillDawn]

When you ask them to cite sources, they say "it's a Google search away" or "abject reality."

[@atomictraveller]

john quincy adams was antima5onic party. disney is not. west papua, 1.8 million genocide 62 years u.s. gold mining charlotte iserbyt, reagan's secretary of ed., 322 skull and bones family, "the deliberate dumbing down of america". i get so tired of anyone who can't say a 5 letter word beginning with m and spelled a, s, o, n. say the fing word.

[@teleriferchnyfain]

This is perpetuated by the false statement that ‘all opinions are equal’. Just, no.

[@MyaP-yq7op]

This is so because beliefs are a component of opinions. For example, despite the lack of scientific proof, people will continue to assert that God exists. While some subjects have hazy boundaries between fact and fiction, others have historical support. There is still uncertainty even in that knowledge. Pluto is no longer regarded as a planet 🌎, despite once being one. Thus, new discoveries also lead to changes in knowledge.

[@venusvicious4446]

This is why I make it a point to stay away from Tiktok and avoid letting myself get sucked into watching 30 second to a minute clips for hours at a time. This video was such a read! All pun intended lol. Definitely sent this to some friends and won’t hesitate to spread this video further in the future

[@shalenah]

seriously! i don't have tiktok but short form content is in escapable on every platform. going to be more viligant because i've been slipping. even 30 mins is too long because it's addicting

[@Helaw0lf]

Same here brother or sister, I refuse to join the sheepish masses glued to that junk application. Good for them, but I got other interests to fill before I die. Foreign language for example is keeping me busy among a few others hobbies. I sometimes ponder the nightmare of being forced into a wicker man type hunt, where being smart is bad in a dumbed down society.

[@aw3299]

Better yet, perhaps stay away from all social media. I deleted all my social media long ago (for various reasons and before the pandemic actually), and I just use KZbin and Reddit for the entirety of media consumption other than movies or tv shows. Plus I try to keep it to as long a form of videos as I can mentally handle (god I wish I wasn't depressed and still had the brain power to committ to watching Contrapoints), but that is in our day and age, and US healthcare and drug law system, HARD. I try to stay away from tiktok compliations as much as possible as well as youtube shorts, and I'm doing pretty well, but it is really starting to feel like I'm more of the exception in this case.

[@jayBBvid95]

I need to do the same for KZbin an Reddit. I either encounter echo chambers, brainrot, or ragebait. Sometimes all three. I don’t know wtf I’m doing on these apps man

[@isntreal3188]

im an 18 year old black girl, just graduated, and ever since middle school i struggled with enjoying reading. I literally envy people that can read a full book in a few days. When it comes to nonfiction one problem for me is I dont know the correct way to start. What if the book I start with isnt the one I should? Recently I had a hyperfixation on a piece of media, and read a fiction book in a week. That was the first time I had read so much in like 10 years 😭. I felt so proud of myself afterwards. I'm hoping i could replicate that in the future. But that doesn't solve the problem of not knowing where to start. :( Thanks for making this video, it reminded me of something important :D

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

It's more important that you start. I suggest going to a library, browing the nonfiction topics, usually written on the ends of the book stacks, and just find a topic you find really sparks your interest, then go to the section and grab one whose title is cool. It's not true that you can't judge a book by its cover. You can tell if it's super long, if the text is tiny, a blurb of what it's about, its author, etc.

[@tachobrenner]

You could also start with light fiction.

[@isntreal3188]

@@chelseashurmantine8153 ur right tysm! i love my library, but i usually go to study, so i'll definitely do this next time i go!

[@storageheater]

Reading a full book in a few days is not the only achievement! *Enjoying* a book is the achievement I'd put at the top of the pile, or at the very least, finding an understanding of the book, regardless of whether you think it was good or fun (also note: you're allowed to dislike Literary Classics and you can also quit a book any time you want. You can't get it wrong really, and you can always come back to a book with more experience - some Classics only make sense if you know quite a lot of the historical context, not everything is for you right now. You can say "no thanks" to any or all of it, if you like.) For me, I found starting points for books I was interested in by looking at awards shortlists. The Booker Prize and Women's Prize for Fiction (both UK based, though there is an International Booker) are pretty reliable for my tastes and are pretty well documented, so you can go back many years and find suggestions there, though obviously it gets very Eurocentric very fast (the first Black writer on the Booker list was Chinua Achebe in 1987 for example.) I'd like to suggest 3 books on a whim, and why I think they're lovely Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other." It's about 12 Black British women, and it's written like a series of short stories that focus on each woman's point of view, and the story passes to them, centres on them, and moves on repeatedly and it's very funny and just a great time all round. Also Bernardine Evaristo is the first Black woman to have won the Booker Prize, so that's quite fancy! Arundhati Roy's "The God of Small Things." This won the Booker Prize in 1997, and is about love and taboo in India in the 1960s. But what makes it special is how it reads like poetry, the descriptions are so strong and it's just a gorgeously evocative book Patricia Lockwood's "No One Is Talking About This." This one's from 2021 and is *weird,* it's written almost like a series of tweets, the first half being about being "irony-poisoned" by being permanently online, the second half being about the devastation and connections and humanity found during a time of personal crisis, and it makes me cry a lot lol

[@Inamichan]

I wasn’t allowed to read the Harry Potter books as a kid so once I turned 20 I devoured those suckers (terf author aside) you have to find something you enjoy! Now I’m a huge fantasy reader! I read comics and anything that sounds fun. If I’m not enjoying the book I don’t read it! You just have to find what you like!

[@mooreholistic]

I'm a black girl of the 60's and I'm thankful my grandmother and mother read newspaper, books. I love reading, writing, studying and research. People have come to my house and said, "all des books". Many have told me I read too much. Oh my goddess what is the world coming to. You're great!

[@adamasalawan971]

My own mother told me that if I date a girl and I go to her house and she has no books, do not bring her home to my house.

[@jasminehill6312]

You can never read too much

[@NomfundoV8]

I had an ex who saw my bookshelf and asked why I had so many books. I knew right there and then there would be no future between us😂

[@Tornado1994]

@@adamasalawan971 I learned how to Talk and READ at the same time back in '85.

[@starzzzy22]

As an educator, PhD student, and auntie, it really scares me to see little kids absorbed in tablets and phones all the time. I don’t think technology is bad, but constantly viewing digital media from that young of an age changes how you expect to consume information. I’ve loved reading since before I could read by myself and I hate to see kids miss out on the opportunity to use their imaginations and learn about the world as they read a really good book.

[@IntelexualMedia]

Seriously! All of this

[@pudding1255]

speaking as someone who got a phone at thirteen, the idea of anyone giving the internet to their toddler utterly terrifies me. children should be given at least a small chance to live in the real world while they can.

[@AshleyNRichardson]

I’m an educator as well and I agree whole heartedly. Nothing can replace the feeling of being lost in a good book.

[@ShinyTillDawn]

this is why many soc media platforms enforce a 13 year age limit maybe we should take that seriously

[@UnaMaestraChévere]

What's sadder? Children engrossed in tablets and phones... In the library....surrounded by books 🤦🏿‍♀️

[@robynlee143]

I’m a 4th grade teacher in Indiana, and every year my class has reading levels that range from kindergarten through middle school. I tell people that I love these kids so much, but they’re fucked. This video perfectly sums up why. The kids that I teach struggle to discern what’s real and what’s not because the content they consume significantly blurs that line. I actively use historical fiction in my classroom as a tool to (hopefully) help combat this. We always learn about the time period in tandem because I need them to know how important context is.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Fight the good fight

[@ButWhyMe...]

Teachers play a huge role in society! I am looking for opportunities to help out teachers especially in light of the recent attacks against teachers' freedom, but I'm not too sure what they may need help on - since you're a teacher, what is it you would say?

[@atomictraveller]

charlotte iserbyt, reagan's secretary of education, skull and bones family, wrote "the deliberate dumbing down of america" about her experiences with ma5ons everywhere just not doing the best for the children. did you know? john quincy adams was antima5onic party. did you know? disney, is not antima5onic. that's what you're missing, because you're also subject to MK.

[@mizrelmizrel]

Thank You for your Efforts and Service to our children 👏🏾💖

[@TalpaTulpa]

Hero

[@obsolete959]

Even if you read only fiction, it still lengthens your attention span, teaches you how to actually comprehend what you're reading, widens your vocabulary and makes you more imaginative. Scientific papers and history books are great and all, but usually not very engaging to read and if you lack the basic ability to focus on what you're reading, you're not going to get anything out of them. Start out with some light fiction that is actually entertaining to you and move from there. Besides, there are a many great fiction writers who tackle very relevant political issues in a clever way while keeping their writing extremely engaging, e.g. Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams to name my favourites.

[@teleriferchnyfain]

I’m a lit major with graduate degrees. Much prefer fiction but certainly have read a lot of nonfiction.

[@storageheater]

I adored Pratchett and Adams as much as the next nerd but over the years I've started to wonder whether "start out with some light fiction" is actually universally good advice anymore, because Booktok and the likes of Colleen Hoover have really pushed the limits of what "light fiction" can entail. To take a very recognisable name as an example, few Margaret Atwood novels are "light" fiction but she is enormously readable, and I think depth is what encourages people to seek out more depth - being surprised that books are things that can be deep in a way other media can't be is very eye-opening.

[@teleriferchnyfain]

@@storageheater Pratchett & Adams are the two most notable satirists of the late 20th century. Masterful literary geniuses both.

[@storageheater]

@@teleriferchnyfain yeah, i probably should've made it clearer i was addressing two separate things, I don't disagree they're very good - I also don't think I'd call them light fiction exactly tbh. they're *funny* it's true but that's not quite the same as light really

[@teleriferchnyfain]

@@storageheater Absolutely not the same. As a lot major I’ve had it with so many in academia assuming comic = not literary unless over a century old lol

[@alt_ms_frizzle]

I'm a 9th grade biology teacher. I had a student in credit recovery last year who couldn't find the Cellular Respiration module in the course, I couldn't figure out what to do to help him so I desperately went to admin who informed me the student was on a 3rd grade reading level... in 9th grade. I cry on my way home a lot.

[@nazimovab3549]

Wow! I'm sorry to hear that. I feel for that student.

[@cxri9454]

​@@MaejorArrayright, that must be what it was cause I'm like how the hell do you even get to 9th grade if you read on that level? Forgot about nclb

[@amshyllsekhmet6631]

I understand, our youngest is delayed because all he has ever had was his older brother with down syndrome. It's been hard for him to learn social skills and how to read all at the same time. We asked for him to be held back but the district said they don't allow that anymore because it makes kids feel bad. My husband and I feel like them forcing my son into another grade before he is ready is setting him up for failure and its not fair. First time he went to school after quartine he was a whole grade behind because we don't have a computer. When he got to school they immediately put him in second grade after onlynapending 2 weeks in the 1st. Now they have him in a special needs class, we are thinking of just pulling him out and home schooling him cause he needs a lot of one on one time.

[@benw9949]

@@amshyllsekhmet6631 If I understood right, the younger son is delayed but the older son has Down's syndrome. So the younger son is likely both modeling after his big brother, while also maybe spending time coping or helping hs brother cope. So the younger son's social and reading/learning skills are delayed, but he's young, 2nd grade/ -- Rather than home schooling, maybe one thing he needs is an outlet for play and social skills, concentrated time with other kids his age and his brother's age, the idea being to model and help him catch up. Tutoring for reading or other academics might also help. maybe an after-school program at a local center/ it sounds like there should be options for a id, either with normal ability or with learning disabilities. My feeling is, home schooling has him isolated from others his age, a valuable source to learn interaction, behavioral norms, and to gain friends, plus someone other than his immediate family. But yeah, since you as parents are seeing his needs are not being met and overcome, keep fighting for him. Likewise for a Down/s syndrome kid. -- Special needs classes can help and hinder simultaneously. I believe special needs kids need spaces besides home and those classes to challenge them and stimulate them and get them to grow. (I/m handicapped. I had regular classes, and this had its pluses and minuses, but for me overall a blessing. ) But I think kids need more than what they generally get in school and at home.

[@benw9949]

Regarding the original post: If a kid is that far behind in reading level, I'd wonder if there are physical disabilities or cognitive / learning disabilities that have been undiagnosed or not met. That, and what's going on at home to lift him/her out of that? For a 9th grader, 3rd grade reading level feels alarming, and a biology class including cellular respiration and other h.s. biology level topics is expected, need, so some way to catch the student up...needs to happen but gosh, I don't see how a student could be caught up that far in a school yer, enough to succeed at his/her bio. course or other similarly advanced intermediate courses. Yeah, how is a kid going to function if on paper he/she has taken a class, but in practice, they have no understanding or retention of the material? (But also, Im coming at this as someone who was in regular to advanced placement level classes, above grade level reading skills and probably college-level reading by high school. so my experience is colored by that.) But...o, that poor kid. How is a kid going to function if they don't get help to get past that low a reading level? To me as a layperson, that's more urgent at the moment than the biology or other subjects, so he/she can then understand biology and others later. For someone teaching 9or anyone who loves learning), gosh yeah, makes you want to cry. Bless you and bless that kid. I hope he/she gets help.

[@ChrisBrooks34]

This is why I'm so sad that libraries all over the place are closing because I really don't think people truly understand, the social and emotional gap that is provided to people by libraries. A lot of people who can't afford after-school programs or babysitting services. There you can get wifi, homework help resume building and a multitude of other things. People who are disabled who dont't have the ability to make a trip 30 mins, 40 minutes or however long to the library use the library app to check out books have them delivered to their house or to check out audio books to enjoy. Learning is so important that people have access and understanding. Plus, libraries are sometimes the only place with a/c come summer. Books aren't cheap; especially newly published non-fiction.

[@amandamarklandyoga]

I absolutely agree with this. The library is so much more than books and media. It’s a social resource and safety net. I think about all the countless people who have spent hours at the library because it’s one of the only places you can go sit for free all day. The library has always been a respite for kids with terribly dysfunctional or abusive home lives, college freshman with no friends and a horrible roommate, the unhoused population, and other adults experiencing poverty to go and use the internet and read in a quiet and safe space that costs nothing. Not to mention the at-home resources you already mentioned. I use the library all the time, though I rarely stay more than a few minutes now that my son is older. When he was little, it was a free place for him to socialize while I got work done. Truly invaluable.

[@BreakOrbit03]

A library near me just shut down due to lack of workers and I was like, "Pick me!" I'd love to work at a library.

[@app103]

Even if you don't have the time to go to your local library during their operating hours, you may still be able to access online resources for free, 24/7, compliments of your local library. Many libraries across the US subscribe to Hoopla, which makes ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and music albums available for free, to all their patrons with a valid library card. Contact your local library to find out if they offer Hoopla access.

[@seleciaa]

I noticed my attention span decreasing over the years, so I started spending less time on my phone and more time reading books. Attention restored, and I feel like I regained myself. The illiteracy rate is disappointing.

[@nazimovab3549]

I noticed the same thing with my attention span and short term memory. Reading has been so helpful.

[@samovarsa2640]

Deliberately going out to the library to get books, and then carving out time I'd normally spend on a computer or phone to just read has done wonders for my brain, too.

[@nonnieJ94]

When I noticed it I decided to start reading dissertations and research papers as well as actually researching topics that interest me. So I haven’t put my phone down to read a book but I often will put down social media and learn something new.

[@janellelives5158]

Yes, my attention span is decreasing. It’s definitely due to spending hours online. I love reading but over the years I’ve progressively devoted less time towards books. Im trying now to replace my phone time w/ books and hobbies.

[@TrippyKitty08]

I'm an artist and it scares me how little other artists know about....art. like they think I'm doing witchcraft and it's just chalk pastel and ink on real physical paper. Not hard. Not a miracle. But people are starting to forget how to work art supplies lol how awful is that?

[@jeanettepanashe844]

As an aspiring screenwriter with a love for horror and psychological thrillers....the satanic panic is so frustrating. Just people scared because people are being creative and they dont understand it. It doesn't help that social media is rife with clowns who take said creativity and spin it into crazy conspiracies that they sell to people who don't care to research the information they're being fed.

[@atomictraveller]

we love casting spells signed, all the ma5ons in your neighborhood you didn't ever know about

[@TrippyKitty08]

@@atomictraveller the mason lodge in my neighborhood is nearby actually.

[@atomictraveller]

@@TrippyKitty08 my classmate congresswoman gabby giffords got shot in the head. she guarantored my emergency passport out of the u.s. the year before for organised stalking. john quincy adams was a member of the antimasonic party, but disney is not.

[@corvus1970]

@@jeanettepanashe844 I lived through one asinine Satanic-panic in the 1980's, and I was really, REALLY hoping not to experience another. And yet, here we are.

[@Only1Jim]

The AI is progressing while students are regressing. Especially after Covid. So glad you are bringing this to light

[@willfeen]

Students at the school where I was a counselor didn’t even have an English teacher last Fall- just a series of substitutes- it’s known as a “sacrifice school” look it up. This country has been so messed up. The spineless supremacist idiots in that district hoarded the wealth to themselves defunded the school, and knew they would get away with it because the public school population is black kids from poverty background, the racist rich thinking, well, someones gotta stock the shelves at Walmart and Amazon. My kids there want to go to college, grad school, be psychologists- they are brilliant. WELL, FUCK those racist rich bastards who throw our children to the wolves and rob them of the opportunity to learn reading and writing, BECAUSE NOW those kids have ai, one of the most powerful tools in history. Each of those kids now has their own “intern” that read 300 books a minute, write 10 college admissions essays, and work to overcome their bogus disadvantage. Fuck this whole system, and ai is a tool we can use to bring it down. JUST my 2 cents

[@XiELEd4377]

The AI are made to do poetry and art while humans are made to do backbreaking labor.

[@MyaP-yq7op]

Individuals without any AI experience 🤖 just talk. AI is a useful tool for private tutoring. Using AI, I was able to improve my grade on difficult math problems in college from a C to an A. As it provided step by step guide as to how to solve . Uneducated people on various technologies are quick to dismiss the benefits of new technology.

[@ChrisBrooks34]

The last book I read was the Pornification of America, and I am currently trying to read Subversive Habits by Shannen Dee Williams. It's a really interesting book about the untold story of black catholic nuns in the long freedom struggle and for civil rights here in America.

[@thisistezz3695]

Adding this to my readinglist

[@Theblackbulma]

@@thisistezz3695 same

[@lisafranklin9089]

Thank you for these recs🙌🏼🫶🏼

[@weirdastela2175]

Added to my lists!!! Thank you

[@queerantine69]

I'm reading four books at the same time😭😭😭 please help

[@niloticnya]

i always say that misinformation is an epidemic in this country. this is my favorite KZbin channel because you help negate that. i’m a student at UNC who’s trying to bring a virtual educational platform to South Sudan. only 25% of children get to go to elementary school, so i want to use the resources here to help educate & improve their lives

[@dklee.01]

omg !!! which unc ?? chapel hill??

[@geocaceres2356]

oh hey!! i also go to UNC and would love to help aide your mission any way i can!

[@smilessmiles3062]

You go girl!!! #lovethis💕

[@niloticnya]

@@dklee.01 sadly haha

[@niloticnya]

@@geocaceres2356 omg thank you. i feel terribly insecure but ik i would need a team so lmk if you ever want to chat!

[@impcec6734]

I’m in the middle of Racism Without Racists, it’s the most challenging thing I’ve read since university and I don’t remember academic reading being this hard, but it feels great to be learning again.

[@biharcourt]

That sounds like an interesting read.

[@jalahscomfycouch]

Ooolala...new book recommendation. Thank you🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@sunnyblossom_711]

great book! Eduardo Bonilla-Silva is a wonderful and empathetic scholar and professor.

[@mommabear5297]

There's also a heavy trend towards anti intellectualism that was bad when I was a kid (ye old days of the 1980's) that's only gotten worse over time. Not only is reading difficult for the reasons you mentioned but it's also actively discouraged. The amount of bullying I've experienced through my life for being a bookworm is *not* small. It always makes me want to cry when someone sees me reading something that's been adapted to film/TV and the response is 'why bother reading that when you can just watch it? I grew up being read to and with programs like Reading Rainbow and The Electric Company which certainly didn't hurt my love of books. That said reading has never come easily for me, I'm autistic and dyslexic but the struggle has always been well worth it!

[@professional.commentator]

Yea that's another thing about reading, is it's highly discouraged by classmates. It's seen as nerdy and boring. So how are kids supposed to be interested in reading if their peers are telling them not to read? There's a social problem here that's not being addressed by anyone.

[@morganculver3642]

The best book I've read so far this year is called Breaking the Age Code by Dr. Becca Levy and it is AMAZING. It focuses on how American society's negative view on aging and agism actually damages our health as we age, and how other cultures that value their elderly LITERALLY LIVE LONGER THAN WE DO. It's an excellent read, if you're a non-fic girlie like me you will love it. Thanks for another amazing video

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

fascinating, definitely going to check it out

[@TalpaTulpa]

I think the reason we hate old people here is because the ones that are respected are evil and the ones that are taken advantage of by the respected are disregarded.

[@A-M4]

Seeing the rise of anti-intellectualism and the decline of news focused media institutions alongside the teacher shortage is very scary. I see so many narratives perpetuated on social media that are false and it’s so exhausting to consume because of how common it is in media now. My social studies teachers in highschool emphasized how important it is to check your sources of the media you consume and to see people increasingly not use this skill set is scary. Along with the attacks on DEI in education, trans rights, the banning of books, and the overturning of roe v wade, the future of this country looks to be headed in a very daunting direction.

[@ShinyTillDawn]

it's making America great again... for the oligarchs

[@ImaniAlchemy]

Girl.. I literally just looked up a video yesterday about how to stay focused while reading. I used to read so much when I was younger and I really want to go back to that. This video lit the fire under my ass🔥❤️ thank you

[@lolabugge]

the steady drop in literacy and especially reading comprehension in our country is frightening in it’s implications, I really hope we as a society are able to reverse it

[@ondekfischer7271]

I’m currently re-reading “The African Philosophy of Self Destruction” by Fayiso L Stevens, and I can’t help but recommend it. And honestly as a young black African individual, I still find myself astonished as to how well he identifies and dives into the many issues that plague most African countries.

[@firenzeval]

Where did you hear about it? I'm curious and want to read it but I couldn't find anything about the author

[@ondekfischer7271]

@@firenzeval i also managed to find him on google by writting his full name, so here it goes Fayiso Liyang Stevens

[@atomictraveller]

read charlotte iserbyt, then read about john quincy adams antima5onic party. that's gonna go further in the long run.

[@3RDWORLDMOMA]

Currently im reading "Ornamentalism" by Anne Anlin Cheng. Its a book about asiatic femininity being deeply rooted in ornamental objects (as opposed to examining the "flesh wound" that is so popular in contemporary feminism). She goes through a historic/visual analysis about how how asian women become conflated with for example: silk, porcelain, etc. She writes in a beautiful way this tragedy of how objects become people and people become objects. It shows theres def types of synthetic injuries that go outside this idea of "flesh" or what was societally deemed as a whole "person" or this idea of "personhood". I hope to further look into this concept of injuries that go beyond the idea of the flesh and temporality for future research into humanity.

[@EclecticDD]

I am in an older demographic than your audience. I have always been a reader. I grew up seeing my grandparents and parents read. I was read to, books were bought for me and I was taken to the library. I feel fortunate to have experienced this. Reading is important and as some celebrities have admitted to, don't be ashamed of not reading well, there are resources for improvement. Make LeVar Burton's work mean something.

[@NovemberReigne]

Same here, I am 54. I thank my parents for instilling the love of literacy inside me and my siblings when we were children.

[@girlofanimation]

They need to reboot Reading Rainbow!

[@lisafranklin9089]

Reading Rainbow for life 🙌🏼🙌🏼🫶🏼

[@FlowerDarkly]

@@girlofanimation He has a podcast now, where he reads stories. It’s called “Levar Burton Reads” and it’s quite good.

[@inthemixwithleahbpodcast]

@@girlofanimationfacts!!

[@joyyoung3108]

As a millennial growing up in the 90's and early 00's I remember reading and swapping books with friends. Everytime the Scholastic Book Fair came to school, kids were excited to spend their money on books. I was raised by a single mother who worked two jobs but still made the time on weekends to take me to the library. We have to make literacy a priority. for these younger generations.

[@Shay416]

Omg same. Books were the ONLY item I could ask my mom for, and no questions asked I get a copy...we even had a ice cream truck book mobile I loved waking up on Saturday to grab new books and then eat pancakes at McDonald's ❤

[@ShinyTillDawn]

oh how the times have changed

[@cosmicghost811]

Same.

[@joyyoung3108]

@@Shay416 That's a beautiful memory. I wish we could have more book mobiles to get to neighborhoods that might not have close access to libraries.

[@ButWhyMe...]

@@joyyoung3108 Good idea! Would there be anything else teachers need?

[@cawknee]

Okay but you are reading society 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 accurately. Our decreased literacy is not an accident so we must respond intentionally. Choose a day to cut off social media and screen time and open any book that interests you. We need reminders like this. Thank you for your work ❤ I’m reading All About Love by bell hooks and another book on how to write grants. 😊

[@calliope7479]

I was a great student but have struggled intensely with guilt and motivation related to reading. You’ve always been an inspiration to work through the emotional shit and open a book.

[@calliope7479]

@@AdamFontenet-iy3tb Change does not come from superstructure my dude. She does recommend great books for workers looking to revolt though!

[@mknightyt]

Unfortunately if we don't pay attention to the course history has taken we as a people will have no idea where the future is heading. Critical thinking is key and why it's so discouraged

[@johnmanpls5577]

At my uni (Australia), many STEM kids do amazing in everything BUT writing assignments, analysing and evaluating information, and composing compound and long sentences..... It has been instilled by parents, adults, government and schools that children should strive for those 'high paying' jobs in STEM.

[@eyesofwater123]

I remember doing an assignement during undergrad that covered this topic. Excellent writing and communication skills are just as important as performing experiments and interpreting data. One cannot thrive in the STEM field with poor wiritng skills.

[@exoticalBecky_Miami]

Maybe because I graduated with a stem degree but I think we're headed into a new era remember in Shakespeare's day things for like 8 hours long xcetera in the 50s they got a lot shorter I think we're just shortening things up again and I think it's okay I'm not shortening anything's up cuz I'm old

[@jelaninoel]

Money makes up for a LOT of short comings…a lot

[@KSobey]

Damn, this video hurt my feelings but it was needed. Getting a 9-5 job right out of university, along with having multiple extracurricular activities makes finding time to read difficult; but it’s something I must do.

[@IntelexualMedia]

I didn’t want it to hurt your feelings but I hope you do find some good stuff to read

[@ebonih7138]

Me sitting here with my thriller book collection 😂 I definitely need to diversify my genre to be more about learning - I read as an escape. College ruined academic readings for me. I need a break.

[@gilliansillustrations]

Start with one page before you go to bed.

[@ShinyTillDawn]

You do what you need to do to get ahead of your competition.

[@PrettyPrincess9609]

I remember when I was a kid and when I was a teenager, I was able to read through 200 page books in only a few hours. Now I’m 27 and I can barely get through a book and I have to force myself to read. I was an avid reader when I was younger but now I rarely read and I’m currently trying to read more books. My next book that I want to read is the Emotional Self Care for Black Women.

[@questwings]

i found the same thing with me. what is helping me get my brain back to reading like i use to is one...turning off my computer. it's easy for me to sit here and let youtube entice me into clicking on my favorite videos all day long. there's nothing wrong with that, except i also like to do other things. i like to read books, i like to draw, sketch, and paint 🎨 since i am a artist. i like to listen to music in a relaxed state. i can't do any of that if i'm always getting distracted by whatever is going on on social media. i have to make a conscious decision to just turn it off, and give priority to something more fulfilling on a soul level. i have been using listening to audiobooks of fiction and doing activities like adult coloring books, to calm my mind down, and leave room for my attention to be focused elsewhere. since i am a self-help and analytical person almost obsessively, i find reading and listening to fiction i great way to not only let go, but also enliven my imagination, and that helps with overall rest and mental health. 😊

[@jared2880]

You have to take into account a lot of other factors though, Were those 200 pages of Fantasy, Fiction, in a simple, fun series you were already well acquainted with? Or were they Nonfiction, in a complex, boring subject that you're not acquainted with? You were probably reading with a lot of energy, too- not after driving to work, doing an 8-10/12 hour shift, driving back, getting food, doing housework... etc. As an adult, it's just harder.

[@kdennis2461]

You were probably reading novels/fiction as a kid and now you're trying to get through nonfiction and it isn't fun. Read a story. Entertain yourself

[@banquetoftheleviathan1404]

Did your parents encourage you to stop reading so much because you weren’t “relatable enough” as well?

[@nopereradicator]

Did you have bills, kids, relationships and a job on the brain? Probably not.

[@Hazelnutwarrior]

After working at a public library for about a year; I feel nothing, but facts have been spoken. Subscribed now, and thank you for quickly contextualing many of the obstacles our society is facing regarding literacy 🙏🏻.

[@riotking77]

So since we’re on the topic of us not reading this video essay… I would read it. If you wanted to switch mediums or do written essays every so often because I wouldn’t mind at all. And I think you’ve encouraged me to get back to writing essays myself. I really enjoyed doing it back in school and I know my teachers and peers enjoyed reading my work. I miss it

[@Lilith_Hypatia]

This should be shown in schools in all of America!

[@taginefc3189]

Yes!

[@Regin8or]

I agree!

[@regonispinque]

I’m currently 2 chapters into “Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture” by Sherronda J. Brown. I agree with you when you say that it’s really hard to read due to dyslexia & the weight of the topic of any given book, but it’s been very affirming reading this so far. Brown takes a lot of time to explain the Black asexual/aromantic experience & I’ve read very few books that talks about that in as much detail as she does. She even pulls research that states that there aren’t that many Black sex researchers that research asexuality & as a result, the yield of information is limited. It’s hard to read in certain passages when the history was being explained, but this is the most info & affirmation I’ve ever gotten from a book on asexuality as it concerns Black people. I really enjoy ur videos & I can’t wait for your videos on reality tv & media analysis/literacy! I love Housewives & I’ve been using the show as an anchor when researching media analysis, literacy, & critique between semesters.

[@sepiajoy2871]

Wow, I would love to read that. I’m interested in sex research, as I want to be a sex therapist myself. A lot of the field (psychology in general, honestly) is very white. Very limited

[@avonee1976]

I’m an avid reader! My parents always emphasized education, plus I was fortunate enough to grow up with 1970s and 80s PBS shows like Sesame Street and The Electric Company. I started reading very early. Literacy is definitely power!

[@brivonn5222]

I'm a financial aid assistant at a local community college and I swear Lexi I cannot tell you how many times I have had to hold many students hands reading out loud the most basic information to help them and they would still look at me all confused! I love my young students they're like my babies but good lord 😂 Reading and literature has always been my stronghold. In 4th grade I was at a 7th grade reading level. So we both have something very similar in interest, but I decided to pursue my degree in corporate healthcare.

[@TheChaoticAsexual]

College student here. The last two semesters I took a lot of heavy humanities-based classes and hoo boy did I feel like my literacy levels were challenged 😅 I'm definitely trying to be better about reading more, but since so many of the readings I'm doing for class are "heavier" readings, in my free time/during breaks I definitely like to do more "for fun" reads. The past few years I've been really into reading a lot of different types of manga, and I try to read more into some of the Japanese historical/cultural contexts when I have the time/energy. Since I'm also learning Spanish, I'm simultaneously trying to challenge myself by reading books in Spanish. I've definitely noticed a general lack of interest in reading, but I still try to encourage others (and myself when I'm feeling tired) to read when I can!

[@artisthonyajta]

This is an incredible video!! Illiteracy in America has definitely increasingly became an issue and this is going to affect EVERYBODY. People are quicker to get their information off of a Twitter article click bait headline than even reading the first paragraph of said article. It’s getting scary because so much misinformation can spread just off of that alone! The most recent book I’ve read is a philosophical manga titled xxxHolic, that details the psychology of different people , and how they can try to overcome their psychological issues. While my recent book is not a traditional book (since it’s a manga), it delivers a lot on detailing how people respond differently to trauma.

[@omnio2043]

🦋6yo me never could gasp the entirety of the plot whenever it came on TV, might read the manga now

[@staciejay1023]

Thank you for saying this! I used to be an avid reader as a child but now as a stay at home mom I actually don’t carve out time to read anymore.

[@spocktiberius2456]

Try to read 5-10 pages a night before bed. Like anything else, a habit once started gets easier to maintain as time goes on. Also, it is good for your kid(s) to see you reading and having books around the house. They will internalize this as an important thing. Being an avid reader will only enhance their knowledge and character. Remember, kids watch us all the time. It’s not so much what we say, but rather what we do that has the most impact.

[@mikailaturkleson7472]

A book I'm currently reading is called Honey Girl. A romance novel of a female astrophysicist who struggles to find a job in her field of study because of how utterly white her peers are and then gets drunk married in Vegas about it. Its very cute but also very forthcoming about the struggles of black women.

[@questwings]

i'm listening to the audiobook version of "honey girl" right now. i have a audible membership, and it was one of the free selections i could choose. i chose it because i also love astronomy, and i am currently looking to find more black authors who write books in my favorite genre of science fiction and fantasy. i'm listening to more pure fiction audiobooks now as a way to ease myself back into physically reading them. i'm an avid reader, but i too have noticed how internet surfing and consumption has a rotting affect on my brain. it also reduces your imagination. 😩 listening to honey girl along with other fiction books by black authors is helping me claim both brain and imagination back. 🤓

[@isntreal3188]

Thanks for the rec :D

[@nataliella97]

I had a horrific realization last month while finishing the first class since a 2 year hiatus, that I wasn't capable of writing a 5 page mini-paper anymore. and I can almost directly trace my own decline to the release of the double speed option on youtube. it's embarrassing, but I know I'm not alone right now. this summer I've decided to cut down on my online media consumption exponentially, and part of that has actually involved me reserving some of the resources you've used in your videos from my local library so thank you

[@jemportal4166]

How many of y'all have my problem of consistently buying and checking out books you never read? 😅

[@dicaeromod]

It's awful 🤦🏾‍♀️ after realizing it I told myself I wasn't allowed to buy anymore until I actually finished one.

[@jemportal4166]

@@dicaeromod Same! I need to find a book club for recovering non-readers, I know they're out there lol.

[@jjpopesupremacy8762]

We're in college and have 0 time, it's solidified at this point 😭😭

[@nell_uhh]

Omg ME!!!! I do this all the time. I get excited about the next book and don’t read what the hell I already have. 😂😂😮‍💨😭

[@nell_uhh]

⁠@@jemportal4166 or we can start one, and literally call it that. 😂😂 “Recovering non-readers book club.”

[@mimipeahes5848]

The attention span thing is a common misconception. The issue isn’t a lack of attention spans, it’s software and social media being made specifically to capture people’s attention. Our attention spans are not getting smaller, corporations are just getting better at manipulating them.

[@locsoluv94]

Thank you. The same people that have "short attention spans" regularly binge watch TV shows and have movie marathons where they hyper-analyze every little detail and easter egg.

[@kerenhaiweha6257]

I think both things are true. Companies are indeed getting better at capturing and manipulating our attention. However, I don’t think it’s possible to acknowledge that fact without acknowledging the societal effects of it. Many of us have become less accustomed to engaging with longer forms of content, or engaging with materials that do not give us the same dopamine spikes that we receive from short form media like TikTok or Instagram. I do not think that we are fundamentally losing the ability to focus as a species, but I think we can agree that a lot of us are out of practice.

[@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024]

@@locsoluv94No wonder I always thought this statement was so contradictory when people like this exist. Like was like “this doesn’t sound right”!

[@c4tac133]

@@kerenhaiweha6257 Right. It takes a long time for a species to change altogether. Not that we shouldn’t read though

[@amandah8258]

I struggle to retain facts I learn from reading. If i repeat it out loud, write it down, explain it to someone else.. it sticks! Just reading alone though, it can go in one eye and out the other

[@IntelexualMedia]

I definitely have to take notes when I’m reading non-fiction. No shame!! 💖

[@kiw.9805]

I was just having a conversation with my fiancée about how media literacy is really failing us ALL. Knowing the difference between sponsored content and investigative journalism is like failing us ALL. Like beyond books, a lot of us don’t know the difference between sources of information on what is reputable and what is not. This really freaked me tf out during the quarantine and watching the misinformation SOAR. Having to tell subjects who came into my office, Ivermectin is NOT a reputable treatment for COVID because Tik Tok was so prevalent in spreading that dangerous rumor.

[@teddybeartears88]

Thank you for the emphasis on ALLL. Everybody is online and connected to the internet. It’s all of our problems especially when the new generation lost so much learning during a pandemic

[@kiw.9805]

@@teddybeartears88 it definitely hits marginalized communities more, but I am mortified how the trickle down effect due to folks not having the literary resources or literacy tools to make medical decisions is like life or death for folks.

[@teddybeartears88]

@@kiw.9805 oh absolutely. I’m a black woman and I always hear black men “bragging” about how they don’t read when there is already specific disenfranchisement within that aspect. And as you said, it only goes from there to making any tangible human life decision.

[@ShinyTillDawn]

Don't forget Trump joking about injecting a disinfectant to knock out Covid in a minute. People took that shit seriously.

[@notleviwalker]

This video timely encapsulates a phenomenon I’ve been seeing on all forms of social media. People’s ability to argue in a comment section about topics that are barely tangentially related to the main subject of a post astounds me.

[@jesuschild07able]

I’m dyslexic. I actually do 3 things so I can stay up to date. 1. Audiobooks- I know its not the same but it helps me not skip works or miss something important. 2. Get at least 1 book a month either through Barnes and Noble or the Library. Even if its a small book, it is helping me read something. 3. Watch longer videos with sources and look up those sources. This one can be time consuming but helps me. My family is very conservative so trying to break out of that mindset is hard.

[@jqk369]

My aunt was a teacher and we spent alot of time with her when we were young. We'd sit in her summer school classes and participate when she taught Hooked on Phonics. She always instilled the importance of having books in the home. Im still proud that I scored in the 95th percentile of reading comprehension on my ACTs as a black boy from the south side of chicago. I read daily before going to sleep to decompress and will admit that i love non fiction and fantasy since political and historical reads can really create burnout.

[@nopereradicator]

I remember HoP. I took some of my tax refund money and bought it to teach my kids how to read. The teachers were shocked when my kids entered school know how.

[@Tornado1994]

@@nopereradicator I fondly remember Hooked on Phonics and the tagline "Call 1-800 ABCDEFG". I'm a 40 year old Black Male who has a College age reading level. I guess you can say I'm in the minority of that Statistic, as I learned how to Talk as soon as I learned how to Read. In Mid 1985, I was taught how to read by my mom using Street Signs.

[@chuckiechels8132]

when I learned how many people can barely understand the media they consume let alone comprehend what they read, I realized how truly bleak it is out here for those of us who want a better world. Great video as always Lex! Thank you for expressing one of recurring anxieties about our present time and looking lovely doing it!

[@niabelizaire3596]

Like math, reading plays a pivotal role in our everyday life. It saddens me that half of the American population is illiterate 💔📚

[@idcook]

I suspect it’s actually far more than half. At least seventy-five percent of the college grads I’ve met over the years can’t dance with more than one idea at a time.

[@nothanksthough]

​@@idcooksounds uhhhhhhh anecdotal as fuck

[@BreakOrbit03]

Yuck, math lol. But seriously, I've been doing math problems in my spare time. I feel it helps challange my brain.

[@niabelizaire3596]

@@BreakOrbit03 Math is my least favorite subject. I've struggled with it all my life. I just need one more math credit to graduate from high school.

[@idcook]

​@@nothanksthough Less so than the statistics offered? You think so? You give no value to any of your personal observations? Through 50+ years of professional experience I’ve found one of the most erroneous sources used to indicate a person’s capability for a job has been their resume. I’ve watched many nudge a project into excessive waste of resources and, often enough, a need to replace them with someone who can do the job properly. I’ve known heads of companies who couldn’t compose a proper sentence. Department managers who, in an emergency, were unable to do the work themselves. Several instances where people accepted the results of new technology despite their own understanding that those results were subpar if not wholly incorrect. I’ve seen people who let their desire to fit in with a clique lead them to issue false comments about a fellow employee simply because 'they' had decided they didn’t like the person. An act that led to legal charges being filed against the company. Through more than 50 years I’ve seen a lot of this kind of thing and, while I admit it’s all merely my personal observation, these experiences eventually led me to evaluate every person based on what they DO as opposed to what their academic achievements or statistics suggests they will do and every circumstance based on what I can see it actually is as opposed to what someone else tells me it is. As the video indicates, we see this being played out more and more in general society - self-styled nabobs and crowd pleasers accepted as news source or educator simply because they can see themselves on something that 'looks' similar to mass media outlets. There really is no reliable sweeping rule-of-thumb no matter what most people think.

[@r.p.5903]

The way to burn books without fire is making people not want them.

[@peni_li]

Libraries have always been an integral part of my life! When me and my siblings were young out of school during the summer my mom would always take us to the library. We were poor so that was the only form of entertainment we could really get and hell we enjoyed it! I even have a favorite library 😂

[@PraiseGloryWorship]

My love for reading started when my mom bought hooked on phonics for me as a kid and we read together. Till this day she brings up how I always wanted to read to her. All throughout middle school and parts of high school I read various books. You hit the nail on the head by mentioning realistically a lot of people may not read as much due to responsibilities, work, stress, & mental illnesses. I have a collection of books now that I pick up every once in a while. These days I am more into audio books, but nothing is more calming and relaxing than sitting back flipping the pages & getting lost in a really good book.

[@IntelexualMedia]

Exactly! Also I love that your mom fostered your love for reading 💖 My mom always tells me how she put headphones with audiobooks and classical music on her belly when she was pregnant lol

[@Sabzwrites]

As a writer and a reader, I really appreciate this video. I used to read so many books when I was younger, like going through a book in a day at my peak but since growing up and social media and other entertainment, I find myself dragging on to read. And also writing has become terribly difficult too. Also Censorship is so real and blockages to entry to spaces of education are for sure censorship. There are so many layers here. Thank you for this

[@aviianna]

I grew up in Florida and surprisingly I read the Autobiography of Malcolm X in school as an assigned reading. It’s just wild to think how that same book could currently be blocked from curriculums in Fl.

[@stefbaby_xo]

The last book I read was a Brazilian literacy classic called “Noite na Taverna” by Álvares de Azevedo. It explores themes such as death, carnality, perversion and subversive topics condemned during 19th century not only in Brazil, but also in others societies around the world. However, it’s not very surprising that themes which revolves human experiences on earth are still a taboo to these days. In case you have the opportunity, I recommend the reading.

[@gailcbull]

All the love to your mom and grandmother! My mother read to me at night before I learned to read for myself, and took me to our local public library once-a-week to take out any books I wanted. I don't remember a time when books weren't a part of my life. I don't even want to imagine a world without public libraries. I always have a book with me, and read on transit as well as before I go to bed at night. I'm currently reading "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie.

[@Tornado1994]

An Excellent Read. Fact: 70s British Folk Singer Cat Stevens converted to Iranian Islam in 1978, and in 1989 called for Rushdie's Execution, which was backed by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Iranian Islamists have often sent Death Threats against Rushdie.

[@Ohsnapitzann]

I love reading books it makes me feel calm and relaxed. I love fictional horror, historical fiction and thriller genre books. I miss reading books with my maternal grandmother.

[@IntelexualMedia]

Awwwww you have taste bc these are my favorite genres too!

[@ollieroo3334]

The last book I read cover to cover was “Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: a CBT guide to getting over frightening, obsessive, or disturbing thoughts.” Recommended to my by both my therapist and best friend. If you have OCD (especially with severe intrusive thoughts) I DEFINITELY recommend it! Helped me a lot with my highly disturbing and upsetting intrusive thoughts/obsessions. I recently was given a book by a friend called “The 1619 Project” and even though I admit I’m intimidated by how thick it is, I really wanna make it my next read. Wish me luck!

[@alladin_payne]

I feel like this was a slap in my face that I really needed. I don't read nearly as much as I used to. I need to fix myself.

[@lionmom7629]

This is such a good point. When we don't have the focus or self education to make informed opinions for ourselves, it leaves the door open for others to make our opinions for us.

[@carry.c7534]

i have always had this passive resentment for reading developing from adults telling me to “read a book and stop being on that phone all the damn time” and i hate that this opposite effect has been keeping me from reading because now i want to start reading and wished i had when i was younger.

[@apayne08]

The last book that I read was “Allow me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution” by Elie Mystal and I HIGHLY recommend it. Currently reading “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap” by Mehrsa Baradaran I say all the time the issue with our society right now is that people don’t read! My mom is a retired elementary school teacher, so she fostered a love of reading in me super early. I tell her routinely that doing that was one of the greatest gifts she’s given me

[@BooksRebound]

I honestly think reading is like a good 50% of what made me who I am. It's wild that I legit couldnt read until I was 8 and now I read 100+ books a year. I really agree, I think more people desperately need to read a damn book.

[@literaterose6731]

Oof, this is so heartbreaking and frustrating. I’m an old bookworm from early childhood; by the time I was 9 or 10, I was reading nearly a dozen books a week (this was in the late 60s!). The library was my second home. I raised my kids surrounded by books-by the time they were grown, our home library numbered somewhere around 14K (this took the better part of a couple decades to achieve; my ex and I were lower-income working class, but we constantly collected from used bookstores, yard sales, thrift stores, library sales etc. We chose books over other media/entertainment for spending whatever we had). I read to my kids, and we all read to each other. When my older kids were in middle school, they went to a nearby library after school until my ex and I got off of work. My three kids are all adults now; one of them has two kids, and has continued the reading tradition. I was at the home births of both my grandkids, and read to the eldest, my grandson, for the first time when he was just a couple hours old! The younger has dyslexia, but my daughter and son-in-law made sure to get her help and work with her; recently my daughter told me that my granddaughter came back shocked from her first day in high school (she’d been homeschooled up until then) because literally none of her classmates read, and most of them said they had no books at home (from a classroom discussion)! I’ve been disabled for decades, and about 15 years ago, my reading fell off as it became physically harder for me to manage-and then I stumbled across digital audiobooks and a whole new era of reading opened up for me. Now I’m usually listening to a few audiobooks, reading a couple of ebooks (slow going, but easier for me than traditional print), plus podcasts and of course well done yt videos like yours at any given time. I think encouraging audiobook use alongside traditional reading can be really helpful for getting people to consume more medium to long form written content. I so hope we find a way to move forward into a renewed surge of literacy and love of reading instead of backwards into a quasi-medieval populace kept illiterate by a controlling authority … but as you so keenly note, that requires structural and systemic changes much broader than just basic education.

[@DrMike18]

It really is frustrating. I was teaching a college course in the spring and could not even get half of the students to read the academic articles I assigned even though I did my best to pick out diverse, interesting, and accessible readings and made sure that they weren’t longer than 30 pages. I could only get three, maybe four students to actually discuss the readings regularly and it was a very small class.

[@paull3403]

My Grandmother always said that your head was your most important muscle. We weren't allowed to have the TV on till after dinner, and the hour before dinner was -always- to be spent in the living room with a book. That was not an option, even for Grandpa. You didn't read, you didn't get TV at all. House rules. Of all the places I lived growing up? I loved my time with my Grandparents the most. Which is weird, as I had more rules and restrictions there than I did even with my Father who treated the house like a barracks (he was Military, and brought his job home). That was one of the most well-thought-out rants I have heard in a long time. Subscribed for more, anyone who researches a pique this much... I bet your research videos are fantastic. More, please!

[@MorganDanielleBeauty]

My mom also pushed my love of reading & even strangers did when I was a kid. One of my coolest memories as a kid was when I accompanied my mom to work & one of her coworkers caught me reading a book and thought it was amazing to see a kid choosing to read a book. And he literally gave my mom a whole bunch of popular books at that time. My mom really made me love reading bc she always kept a book around ❤

[@kjs9]

Amen! People are taking someone's opinion and making it a fact. I am guilty of this recently. Good video

[@IntelexualMedia]

Yes! Thank you!

[@bharbarawyrstwaemasyn8741]

I would, but everytime I read a research article my ADHD happily triggers my existential crisis. I did read Mende Nazer's co-written book that opened my eyes on modern slavery as a high-school student. It definitely helped solidify my convictions into being more progressive. I've now decided to re-read my favorite IB selection book that my high-school selected for us: Their Eyes Were Watching God, since I'm curious to know how I view Janie's journey to self-actualization and sexual liberation in her pursuit of true love now that I'm a gay leftist jaded adult. That aside, can we also talk about the decline in America's musical freedom and education?!

[@februaryschild0216]

Awww...that's my favorite book! Zora Neale Hurston. I've read it several times and still have it. 😊

[@taginefc3189]

I have ADHD too.. I have to find a topic I’m obsessed about to read about it. I have recently become obsessed with The Haitian Revolution so I bought a young adult book on the topic to get started. 🫢

[@Sean_neaS]

Another tip. Sometimes when I have trouble focusing, I find reading aloud helps get me started. This is also how I got rid of my lisp. It also helps if you want to improve you speech in any way.

[@flytrapYTP]

As with most social issues, the US' makes them bigger. Illiteracy is a rising issue everywhere, but America's problems are incredibly visible.

[@MiddleChildHysteria]

THANK YOU for discussing disability when you discuss literacy! So many people who cite those types of studies will forget that there are people with disabilities that impact the way information is received and understood! Not to mention that this study also doesn’t ask if English is the person’s first language. I work in disability advocacy and public health and there’s a big push towards using plain language that makes complex medical topics more accessible to the average person. We don’t do this because we’re “dumbing down” information; we do this because we recognize that everyone is coming into a situation with a different backstory that affects how they process information. Every time I hear someone associate low literacy with “intelligence” (which, need I remind you is built on ableist, capitalist, and white supremacist ideals) I want to scream

[@hq4287]

I don't think she really handled that topic well. There is a nuance to being dyslexic where it's not just being disabled, but also a way of thinking connected to skills of memorisation and problem solving which Western society is not respectful of. In some sense it is both a disability and a different experience of the world. Honestly don't know how to explain this more but I was really upset by the coverage of dyslexia in this video. It's late at night in the UK and I don't have any more spoons to talk about this.

[@whatsonhermindblog123]

Who the FUCK wants to read about Holden and Beowulf all the time?? 👏👏👏👏 I felt that in my SOUL

[@ShinyTillDawn]

schools want us to think that reading sucks by making us read outdated literature...this encourages us to Slack Off in class more, etc.

[@tfaddict8254]

I love this video. You are absolutely right. People do not read anymore and it is killing society's ability to think critically. I am glad I just stumbled onto your channel. YOU GOT A NEW SUBSCRIBER!! I'm binge watching your videos right now.

[@corey5300]

crazy 6 months later and educators are screaming the exact same thing

[@Zembassi3962]

One of the main issues is that a lot of a PLETHORA of humans DO NOT ACTUALLY LISTEN! Listening entails not only HEARING but also THINKING about the information (regardless of how small or large in content/context) that is heard. This is not only a problem for this generation of people but older ones as well. #AREALDAMNINGSHAME! 😖😖😫😫

[@spocktiberius2456]

True. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.

[@cornicherollsroyce8923]

This right here!!! I constantly talk to my children about the importance of reading, yet every time I make them read for more than 30 minutes a day they feel they are getting punished. 🤦🏾

[@s.carlton5122]

Keep making them read, and find a many ways to make it interactive. Maybe a movie and book read night or if there is something fun they want to do, find a book about it and make it apart of the activity. They'll complain now, but thank you later

[@cornicherollsroyce8923]

@@s.carlton5122 thanks so much, I need help to get them to love reading more.

[@s.carlton5122]

@@cornicherollsroyce8923 also my mom encouraged my brothers love of comic books, she said if it helped keep the spark of reading alive, it was okay to have fun with. You're doing the Lord's work blessings on you and your family ❤🙏🏾

[@cornicherollsroyce8923]

@@s.carlton5122 awwww thank you again!! 💖💖

[@mikailagray]

I used to be a big news reader but it was in 2015 and the election time made me super depressed. I’ve been getting back into reading fiction and by working in research I have to read things a lot for work and look up information all the time. We made sure my nephew was very good at reading as my whole family are extremely advanced readers. I’ve gotten my first library card since I was kid this year and I love the convenience of using the website to find and check out books and use the study rooms for my nephews language tutoring. Reading is so important and it’s very easy to see how much a disservice it is to our society when people don’t have good comprehension skills. Edit: My mom and sister like to read mostly fiction while I tend to consume a lot of political and non fiction or psych research. So lots of times I am helping them understand the current climates and what that means and luckily it’s helped my sister a lot and helped her be more aware and interested in things connected to political discourse and history.

[@IntelexualMedia]

I definitely take breaks from the news cycle because it can be exhausting! And I’m excited for you and your library card ❤️😍

[@johnoliveri4064]

As someone with a parent who is an english teacher i’ve found myself struggling with reading, but i’m trying very hard to hold on, getting into a comic series or manga is a good way to have something fun you can get excited for weekly/monthly and get you in the reading mood for larger stuff.

[@the_yungchubbz]

Subbed! Though I’ve transitioned to audio books, due to working; reading, listening, critical thinking - these are paramount to our continuous development. My wife and children are avid readers, and this “shocks” most educators who encounter them. Makes me proud, but also makes me sad for the state of America. I was raised to value literature, and made grossly aware of the power of speech, but the world has seemed to have forgotten its significance.

[@jordanwill7233]

Advocacy for reading? You’ve made English majors very happy! There’s a saying we have “good writers are great readers,” but I would say it applies as much to critical thinking, interpersonal connection and so much more. It’s not always fun, especially when you’re used to scrolling, binge watching or listening, but the rewards, the benefits, the knowledge I find don’t evaporate right after I start something new. My “old soul” rant out of the way, the last book I read was Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo, my summer book is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and my next book might be empress of salt and fortune by Nghi Vo, but I haven’t decided.

[@spocktiberius2456]

As a retired educator whose parents were also educators, I have found that parents who read regularly are probably the number one indicator of individuals who they themselves are avid readers. Children are highly influenced, either positively or negatively, by the actions of the adults in their lives (as well as the environment in which they are raised). The book I am currently reading is entitled African Founders: How Enslaved Peoples Expanded American Ideals by David Hackett Fischer

[@julians4094]

I just finished the book "Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity" this morning when I couldn't sleep. It was really difficult to read at times, like actual full body revolts against how autistic people have been treated and how anti-vaxxers are related to people's fear of neurominorities. However it's been really important to me to re-root myself in a history that I'd never learned but impacts my present day as a trans autistic person. I've also really grown by reading books by autistic authors and absolutely feel less alone. There's always more, but I'm excited to read more about trans history as well. Two of my grandparents were librarians, and I feel really lucky to be from a family that encouraged a love of reading. I definitely do notice my attention span affected by social media but when I do dedicate more time to reading my mental well-being is much better even if it concerns some heavier topics. Thanks for this video, it's such an important reminder.

[@ciroluxom6615]

Yeeeah, you got me. I used to be able to read and write long paragraphs and books but now its a struggle to read a few pages.

[@McCallHall1]

THIS IS A FACT. I love reading and it’s rare to find others who genuinely enjoy getting lost in a book.

[@tashahasfun]

When I first started doing ceramics, it was impossible for me to sit still for more than 30 minutes… So I forced myself to read a few minutes everyday and I’d set an alarm to make sure I didn’t get up before then. It worked… but it also changed my life because I realized, having a super short attention span (mostly because of our phones), means that my application of myself to my life, was half-assed. I deserve better

[@hikariluanGC]

I have to admit to it, I’ve been substituting a lot of my reading for video essays, but at least I try to get some references and put on a list to read. Currently reading The Will To Change from Bell Hooks because I’m with a lingering interest in books about men written by feminists.

[@EclecticDD]

I enjoy video essays, but remember no one can present things in a completely unbiased manner and their experience influences their content. For something unfiltered you have to go to the source yourself.

[@Xara_K1]

It's embarraassing how much I love that this is a read about reading and u come with hella research, state your issue, and then provide multiple solutions that everyone can use. This video appeals to the little geek in me who learned to force myself to read because I was so curious and my mom was tired of answering so she dragged me to a library. I'm currently reading 'Children of Blood and Bone' by Tomi Adeyemi and am re-reading bell hooks 'The Will to Change'.

[@DaddyMoogie]

I struggle with dyslexia, so its difficult for me to read books that aren't fiction and of very specific genre's. But years ago I realized that I can read articles like no other, so I've leaned heavily into article reading to keep the mind strong. Thank you for the non-judgmental rant, I get turned off by "big book readers" bc they often look down on people that only read articles. I also super appreciate creators that distill literature, so I look forward to more of your content.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

I try to tell my friends as often as it comes up that there are messages that you can get from books that CANNOT be condensed into a movie, into a show. The amount of information in books is soooo exponentially denser than the information in other media.

[@almalone3282]

If you can't explain your idea without 5 pages of word vomit then either your idea is terrible or you are awful at explaining concepts to people. If a 5 year old (who can comprehend somthing as complex as morality) can't understand your idea at the most basic level then your idea makes no sense.

[@ShinyTillDawn]

Movies Focus on action and shit, leaving out subtle chara development and many pieces of evidence to support a complex theme that isn't a cliché

[@coolio_2510]

The last book I read was “ Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves The American Soul” by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. I read on and off for about a year until I got to the last few chapters and then was able to finish it. Good read, I got it from an older family member as a gift. A lot of gems sprinkled throughout from challenging respectability politics to how the older generation of civil rights leaders view challenging authority and how to go about it compared to the groups and leaders of today.

[@chelseashurmantine8153]

oooh fascinating, I'll have to check that out

[@atomictraveller]

i stopped then the ma5ons implanted my left eye when my emergency passport was issued. i just go from post to post. when will americans start actually blaming the ma5ons? john quincy adams was antima5onic party. disney isn't. charlotte iserbyt, reagans secretary of education, 322 skull and bones family. FREE WEST PAPUA 62 years genocide for u.s. gold mining 1.8 million murders and 0 ever ever ever news read that