Cultural observations: people that read books in public

If you’d like to support me so I can make more documentaries like this you can do so here
www.buymeacoff...
Filmed by Raven Goldston

[@meditationsfortheanxiousmind]

Hello everyone it’s me I’m typing this from an iPhone. If you would like to support me so I can continue to make documentaries like this you can buy me a coffee with the link in the video description. Namaste 🙏🏻

[@TheChzoronzon]

Yes, please, I need more of your bored, I'm-back-from-everything-at-23 stare, TAKE MY MONEY

[@thibaudchaussalet3868]

Do you need any for a sandwich or something to go with the coffee?

[@superrookie-1]

i'd like to believe that he is in a cafe when he wrote this

[@krampus7520]

Read this in your wonderful accent. You have violated my earspace.

[@meditationsfortheanxiousmind]

@@superrookie-1I did genuinely

[@mcnair435]

I just wanted to read my book for 30 mins on my work break but now I've gotta think about the cultural implications of my simple action.

[@Bella-wp7wz]

Lmao 😂

[@SieMiezekatze]

Relatable, like I am rereading Sherlock for the fifth time. It ain't special or superior

[@skydadashzadeh]

@@SieMiezekatzeExactly! I simply read because I enjoy it. I personally enjoy books others may deem sophisticated, such as Sherlock Holmes, but I just like them. I don’t particularly care how others chose to spend there time because at the end of the day we all do what makes us happy, and that is what matters.

[@TheThomasmbajjwe]

Exactly, I guess we'll keep the book for later in private. Lol

[@juliaforsyth8332]

Exactly! And I don't actually care what other people think. I do what I bloody well want.@@skydadashzadeh

[@vincentlaw1415]

As a puplic book reader, I couldn't keep a straight face 😂 because this is just going through my head too often, especially because I just want to read a book while also being outside, but I always feel the pretentiousness of that image creeping up to me.

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

I used to struggle with that too haha. I don't care anymore tho. I'm the same as people playing games or watching tiktok on their phones, except my entertainment is objectively better. That sounds very arrogant, but it really isn't (at least, not necessarily).

[@vincentlaw1415]

@@Yarblocosifilitico Me neither, to be honest :'D but that doesn't stop me from being self aware from time to time, which is a good thing I would say. That's why I couldn't keep myself from laughing, because I know where he is coming from and that there are people out there who most certainly would feel offended.

[@nataliasmith1787]

That's why I like reading in my backyard, especially in the spring and summer with all the flowers--very peaceful.

[@g76agi]

"my entertainment is objectively better" is definitely very arrogant, lets not pretend it isnt@@Yarblocosifilitico

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

@@g76agi mindless games literally designed to be addictive vs literature. Sorry but yeah, it's better. I'll accept the arrogant label, but if were to dwelve into the science of what mobile games and literature do to your brain... I know which one I'll bet on ;P

[@arsionak7283]

If you ever feel confident just wait until Frankie makes a study of the exact kind you belong to

[@bderrick4944]

Cultural Observations: people who make self-aware KZbin comments

[@eighteenfiftynine]

It was "literally me" and I liked it!

[@edwardmitchell6581]

Is the the current generation’s What White People Like?

[@cagneybillingsley2165]

midwit activities

[@a.lee713]

I've been personally attacked at least 3 times despite having never sought this channel out of my own free will... Still highly entertained! (Though feeling a bit admonished)

[@19mduffy]

I know this is a joke video but It's kind of sad to me that something as simple as reading has been reduced to an exercise in identity, and is seen as pretentious when it used to just be a thing that people did.

[@majp6126]

literally, books are nothing special! it really ISN'T different from watching Selling Sunset because books are the original Selling Sunset. it shouldn't be viewed as a flex, not by the people doing it nor the people observing it. books are just media. they're not for intellectuals, the most average people used to read books because it was the only option of entertainment. the video is funny, but it does make me think of how weird the world is these days.

[@williambarrett1234]

These vids reinforce these acts into meme concepts

[@sashakeiv2703]

@@majp6126no seriously, it’s funny when people go “wow you like to read? You must be smart and an intellectual!!” Like no, I’m reading garbage about faeries doing it or something

[@Two-ToneMoonStone]

I think it's the physical book. If you just sat around listening to an audio book or using an e-reader no one would care, but the moment the physical book comes out people get weird.

[@squallded7244]

honestly this, spoke nothing but facts

[@VexJinks]

As a public book reader, I patiently await the day someone sits beside me and casually asks me what I'm reading.

[@stadtbekanntertunichtgut]

What are you reading at the moment?

[@Year_Of_The_Cat]

@@stadtbekanntertunichtgut😂👏

[@andrei19238]

me too darg

[@big_neek]

I would probably steal whatever is in your pockets like a thief rat with a striped black sheisty and a brown money bag

[@cortster12]

I read books in public, and I'd have a heart attack if someone did it. I read on my Kindle, I just want to be left alone.

[@ACShotRun]

as a public book pretend reader, I congratulate you on your observations and efforts. i can only hope more people pay attention to us -- or, even better, to me.

[@VidelRed]

I read in public and it’s 50% reading and 50% stomping out the pompous voice in your head that tells you you’re better than other people just for reading a physical book. Do not listen to that voice. Good video as always!

[@dogchaser520]

@@elemenopi55 Or stop being so concerned with what others are thinking about you

[@epenies]

@@elemenopi55or better yet, listen to an audiobook while staring at people awkwardly.

[@edwardmitchell6581]

My 7-year-old son is not allowed to use screens. At this very moment he is readying while riding his scooter down the middle of the road. And this is after he forgot to get off the bus. How did the algorithm know?

[@Dizums]

Yeah I hate when my eyes make the letters give me thought. Cmon book, just be quiet and leave me to my pompous thoughts.

[@ja-qk4vd]

yeah very articulate. but quite invasive and rude. hope he got permission and explaimed first. if not very gracious readers.

[@BunsBooks]

I didn’t know people felt self conscious reading in public or read to be seen, this is an interesting cultural observation. I’m a GenZ but didn’t get a phone until I was a teenager, I was also homeschooled so that might have something to do with it, maybe I didn’t get bullied enough. My mom taught me to take a book with me wherever I went so I wouldn’t be idle even if I had to sit and wait somewhere. We did a math equation where we calculated the average books we read in a year and compared that to the average age people live to in my family and determined the minimum and maxium amount of books I could read in my life before I die and that has instilled in me a special type of fomo. It makes it feel like crap when I catch myself staying at home doom scrolling, cause I could be reading, discovering a new world and new ideas to me, instead I’m just watching memes 😶 I’m gonna go read

[@desertordeideias8779]

Out of all commets in this video, yours is the only one that urged people to capture the opportunity and read the books you need to read before you die. Thank you! If 1 in 10 thought like this, avoiding the obvious consumerist trap, the world would be sane.

[@floatingdisembodiedhead8975]

W mom. Take good care of her.

[@MichaelHill-sg8ks]

Huh, you're absolutely right. I was home-schooled too. Funny how the home-schooled people I've known (including myself) don't seem to develop the same insecurities as other people and usually end up being very studious. It does make me conclude that there's something drastically wrong with our education system. I should go read a book about it too.

[@TheGoodContent37]

Nah, you are just basic and love attention, is not rocket science.

[@udontevenwannaknowbruv]

For some reason I can only read mystery novels or gay romance novels 💀 With other books I just lose interest after 2 pages. And I’m not even gay but the gay love stories are usually much more interesting and sweet. Anyways, does anybody have any recommendations? 😂

[@ironflazambat5815]

I read in public for a reason that’s probably more embarrassing, because in my own private space I can’t trust myself to not fall into a KZbin (or just tech in general) rabbit hole like the one I’m in now. I can have such little self control that sometimes I’ll go out without even taking my phone-just me and my book (and keys I guess)-so that I’m put at ease by the fact that I’ve made it more or less impossible not to have a productive reading excursion.

[@ironflazambat5815]

Also that last joke is how I’ve always thought of people who wear Nirvana shirts, lol. Actual NPCs

[@lullaby218]

Buy an old nokia for emergency calls

[@oneill765]

That is a legitimate reason to read outdoors, I find it too difficult to concentrate if I'm just sitting at home, there's something nice about being still in the hustle and bustle and just reading, and sure you can always just get locked sitting outside grogans with a book on your lap to look real deep & intellectual.

[@LouBasques1423]

So do you you mean red youtube or orange youtube?

[@ChristopherTheBanana]

same reason i masturbate in public (metaphorically)

[@thatonepekokinnie]

I remember reading a book while watitng at the train stop, and a little girl, who I'm sure was in primary school, took out a book from her backpack and pretended to read next to me, and she was eyeballing my every move, even when we entered the train.

[@zenyatta5064]

that is adorable

[@LordHighTorturer]

As a public book reader, this cut like a knife through to the deepest part of my psyche.

[@rainbowlemon]

As a public book reader, I just love reading my book & getting out of the house at the same time.

[@barisharslan6997]

As a public book reader, none of this applies to me lmfao. I just want to know what happens in my book idgaf about my appearance!

[@LordHighTorturer]

@@barisharslan6997 I can't help it. I honestly want to read a book outside, but the nagging voice in my head plays strange fantasies of people coming up to me and asking me what I am reading. They will finally know how smart I am!! 🤓

[@Desimere]

@@barisharslan6997 Also none of it applies to me. I do care about my appearance, but not in a self-conscious or attention-seeking way. I care about being as invisible as possible. So I've switched to audiobooks. I really hate attention, so audiobooks are in general less stressful, but the problem comes when there is something funny and i can't prevent myself from laughing out loud. Then i perceive more attention with audiobooks than with physical copies. As far as it comes to to my preferred appearance, I've realized that I hate crowded areas, ideally I would be sitting somewhere with 0 other people in sight when I'm waiting, but unfortunately that's not the reality. The presence of people stresses me out. My mechanism of coping with that is to pretend as much as possible that these people don't exist. When i see dogs being walked, i acknowledge the dogs, smile, and think of how cute they are, but even though i know the dog walker was also there, my mind never acknowledged them to the degree that i don't even know if they were a man or a woman. But this is only possible as long as people don't engage with me. When someone even tries to make eye contact or smile at me, i can't stay in that lower stress-level mindset. I've always felt most comfortable when i dress in the most unremarkable way, but recently I've realized why. Normally when i say i hate attention, people think it's about insecurity, but it's not. It's just way too many people and i feel like it should be normal for people to be stressed out having to interact with over a 100 people in one day? Idk how this is difficult for extroverts to understand. I feel like this video is harmful in that it encourages people to go and stress out introverts who they see reading in public. So I just had to say something.

[@Desimere]

​@@LordHighTorturer ok, tell me how smart you are :D what are you currently reading? I've always had people thinking I'm smart because of math-like stuff. I actually dislike it because it usually creates some distance. Imo It's better to be thought of as interesting and/or relatable, it's much easier to get some good conversations going that way. I'm jealous of people who bond over reality tv. If i could, i would. When i watch something that high in drama, i get really into it, but i don't get pleasure from it, just annoyed and upset. But then i still want to watch to know what will happen. That contradiction makes me feel manipulated and i hate being manipulated.

[@mehakverma7043]

One time I was reading a book at a bus stop and this guy started waiting for the bus with me. He asked me what I was reading and we had a whole conversation. Then he told me that he wasn't actually waiting for the bus he just wanted to ask me out because he thought I looked smart and pretty. Another time I was reading a book at the bus stop, a car on the road literally pulled over, the driver got out, and gave me his business card trying to hire me because I looked like I was smart and well-read. So yes, reading a book in public is not just narcissistic, but it also brings good things.

[@nul4327]

and then u woke up

[@somesweetdreamm]

Did you go on a date with the guy?:D

[@kittypeanut4102]

Nice

[@mehakverma7043]

@@somesweetdreamm Fuck no, I was 17, I told him I was 17 and yet he persisted that it was okay lmao

[@PhoenicopterusR]

​@mehakverma7043 and you didn't go out with him? Crazy, seems like a real catch. (Sarcasm obviously)

[@katharina...]

Frankie: People who read books in public are control freaks. Also Frankie: Are you swinging your legs? 😁 This is the most sophisticated unsophisticated humour I've witnessed in a long time 😁👍

[@TallSexyHumble]

I don't get it

[@LeonC0704]

@@TallSexyHumble he's accusing them of being control freaks as he is pretty much telling the guy not to swing his legs, which would be controlling

[@TallSexyHumble]

@@LeonC0704 so the guy who asked "Are you swinging your legs?" a person who reads in public too?

[@LeonC0704]

@@TallSexyHumble no. But he is controlling

[@TallSexyHumble]

@@LeonC0704 then how is that humour? he was just asking, and the other guy just stopped because he was probably conscious after getting pointed out. Is the humour in the fact that since the commentator was able to "control" the readers action by asking that question? He was "controlling" the "control freak"?

[@lewis9s]

I occasionally read in public. People who don’t are really missing out though. Sitting down in a cafe, drinking hot chocolate while occasionally glancing out the window, people watching as you read. Truly a tranquil experience.

[@SindreGaaserod]

As a scholar, historian and, of course, a public book-reader, I do look down upon people who are glued to their phones, as I view it as cultural decadence. And, it is, indeed, a spectacle since I always read highly glorious books in public for my own enjoyment as well as for the public, so they can admire the sight of such a gentleman of high culture and intellect.

[@johndola1999]

tell me you're also wearing a fancy suit and a bow tie

[@Squashmalio]

Are you into Nietzsche? Your word choice makes me think so

[@monodimensionalbeing7996]

*BOKE* - you shouldn't do fingies like that for others, just do it for yerself hai. omg omg btw i also do acc...read... in public................. idk what's real.

[@kubli365]

Me asf reading the latest manchild Star Wars novel in the cafe

[@TheMuffinManIsHappy]

@moe923 You’re just jealous of Nietzsche’s glorious mustache.

[@sonyclaystation]

reading in public is extremely comforting with the free background noise. sometimes wind, most times chatter. my house gets isolating really fast so everytime i get to go out and read, it feels like a blessing

[@mishXY]

I don't call it reading in public, but reading outside. It is just nice to find the right bench in the park with the least amount of foot traffic, but with a nice backdrop - and just read, sometimes I go on a hike to a place where there are no people at all and read there for hours. sometimes I feel so locked up at home, distracted by computer, phone, TV, music production equipment, and the fridge - always looking for an easy dopamine hit. outside, like some others mentioned, I go with just a book and some coffee, tea, or even soup in a thermos and read for a couple of hours. the only distraction is all those Irish youtubers asking me questions all the fucking time

[@H0kram]

Haha same though I have to deal what the city has to offer instead of nature, most of the time. I much prefer to read outside by myself, than at home.

[@mishXY]

@@H0kram I am lucky to live in a very compact city of ~800k people. By bicycle I need 15 minutes to the city centre, and 10 minute walking to be in the forrest.

[@rusteu]

same here. also it usually keeps people away from me which is nice

[@Fluff_Noodles]

I'm glad to see that other people understand this

[@louiereyhan7089]

thats really nice ;-; kinda inspired me to do the same thing now, just go and be reading outside.

[@nytro2361]

Frankie: “What book are you reading?” Person: “Observations of People Who Talk Into Microphones In Public”.

[@sushimidget840]

They're reminding people that books exist. I thank them for their service.

[@luxill0s]

And reminding people that you can pay attention to something for longer than 25 seconds

[@ja-qk4vd]

i mean is like smoking in public isnt it. but what can you do. used to go to a public cloistered away room away from society, but this grad got cut back.or closed down, so forced out to pasture as public tolerance for reading deteriorates, the last stand of the solitary reader remains scattered here and there. David Attenbrough sd do a follow up.

[@squtnik]

Nice profile pic

[@kv4648]

I purposefully read on my phone to spite people like you

[@sushimidget840]

@@kv4648 Well the people who read actual books don't even know you're spiting them mate. You just look like another phone addict. So not sure what you tryna accomplish buckaroo 😅

[@cleowithmayo9359]

When TikTokers can’t fathom that people might actually enjoy reading outside and not crave constant attention

[@cleowithmayo9359]

The projection is bizarre

[@user-uc1hn1fm9g]

Yeah, it's kind of pathetic that they can't fathom not staring at a screen for a little while.

[@atari947]

His sarcasm is very clear

[@SukunaYaoi]

Who are u talking about, no one on this comment section or video fits that description

[@DderwenWyllt]

When I was a teenager, I would often climb up the castle in the centre of town and read those Assassin's Creed books, I enjoyed it so much until I was spotted by tourists, and they thought I was some kind of re-enactor and ruined all my fun. But if I'm being honest part of the fun (other than the inward aesthetic feeling of reading a book about an assassin who climbs castle towers while I myself am sitting in a castle tower) was that I was always wondering/worrying if I was going to be caught, though I was expecting to get in trouble and not to have all my fun drained by some American/English tourists who thought I was role-playing as a ghost.

[@itscatoclock]

this is amazing

[@DerCrafter]

Wow that sounds like a really awesome thing to do.

[@deepseadarew6012]

This is hilarios lmao

[@nova-ef2sx]

Maincharacter

[@Eliamaniac]

where?

[@museumofmusic9702]

As a an outdoor book reader, he has described the opposite of what I’m thinking/intending. I like to be outside because nature is beautiful. I’m reading my book because I like it. I’m not thinking of the people that pass by and I hope they are not thinking of me.

[@Savvy1718]

Same

[@museumofmusic9702]

@user-wg5jm5fy7y No. I meant that in the present moment of writing my comment, I hope that passersby do not think about me when I’m reading outside. When I’m actually reading outside I am indeed immersed in my book 😌

[@serena6418]

@user-wg5jm5fy7y what?? like... do people not realise that before phones and stuff, on public transport, in waiting rooms etc. people would read books and newspapers? you can absolutely be immersed even if you're in public

[@BuTTerJaFFaS]

you defo sound like a person who doesnt read books LMAO@user-wg5jm5fy7y

[@joeboonmusic4004]

@user-wg5jm5fy7y I don't think it's fair to imply that self-consciousness implies that you're not truly invested in an activity. I love reading outside the house; whilst travelling... Anywhere I could otherwise be looking at a phone. Do I think about other people at times? Sure... That's just the mind wandering. Am I invested in the book? If it's good, of course. All these 2nd hand judgments are pointless and destructive.

[@kingj282]

This is all in good fun, but it's really nice to have a good book while you get fresh air

[@Bookspine5]

Walking while reading is fun at a park. Not a good idea at a shopping mall, I seem to attract the worst people.

[@Streamfit-j2k]

​@Bookspine5 tell us more 👀

[@louiereyhan7089]

@@Bookspine5 walking while reading! i'm lowkey astonished/proud, I could never lol

[@siennaskye6760]

as a public reader, half of it is for the aesthetic, half of it is because its more fun to read outside than in bed, and a small part is because its really fun to be in a busy place and pay zero attention to what's around and just get lost in the book (until I reach the end and have to cry)

[@oliveleaf7376]

the secret is not caring about what other people around you are doing and assuming they don't care what you are doing either. I've been not caring about others around me for years now, and I've never felt more liberated! I can clear 3 books a week now!

[@ferghalicious1480]

This comment falls completely into line with what he says about public readers having “avoidant attachment disorder” and using books as “a shield that keeps them insulated from intimacy”

[@Filioush]

@@ferghalicious1480 Idk if you're joking, if yes then ignore my comment but if not then no it doesn't. Being stuck inside your head wondering whether people around you will care about you reading a book outside and possibly judge you for it isn't intimacy, it's just needless worrying, useless and counterproductive; such kind of thinking will lead you away from intimacy by pushing others away in fear of them thinking bad of you.

[@ja-qk4vd]

dont even.know what that means

[@oliveleaf7376]

@@ja-qk4vd basically, Filioush has it: second and third thoughts are entirely unproductive. It is better to act than to react, especially if you are stuck in a loop of endlessly reacting to your own self-critique. Just do what you want to do. Sometimes I run in public, I don't really care how I look. Sometimes I read in public, because I happened to be in the middle of an interesting part of a book and wanted to take it with me. I don't think about it any deeper than that, because doing so is just pointless psychic damage. Engage in reality as a tautology, not as a metaphor or a test.

[@joeboonmusic4004]

@@oliveleaf7376 Couldn't agree more with this sentiment... I feel like this current generation is so obsessed with the connotations of doing anything because of meme culture or these 2nd/3rd-hand thoughts. Too often people think about the implications of the thing before even doing the thing... Ironically that's just self-obsessed!

[@heleecopter]

1:50 "They'd be too busy pretending to read, rather than reading the room" BROOOOOOOOOO 😂

[@zabacinjsh]

This needs to be put in a book so people on park benches can get access to this research.

[@alinamedina]

As a book reader, sometimes we’re at a realllllly good part and need to take that everywhere. Hiding it under our desk, family dinner table, etc. so leave me alone 😂

[@stadtbekanntertunichtgut]

Fun fact: Frankie is just jealous because he is illiterate. Don't hang your head now bro! You can do it too. Oh and without any joke or irony your jacket looks very good and suits you.

[@smashyrashy]

Theres a difference between illiterate and too busy to read

[@briannecastillo6355]

@@smashyrashy it was a joke, but hey man even ten minutes is reading so even though it may be small as long as your having fun and enjoy it thats all that matters

[@andrei19238]

functionally?@@smashyrashy

[@JBBost]

@@smashyrashy if you stop reading, you can forget how to read and become illiterate

[@parkerstroh6586]

@@JBBost if i stop reading this comment section i will become more literate

[@yperboreus]

Cultural observations: people that get butthurt by other people catching the sun and touching grass

[@samccllm]

edit: please buy Frankie a coffee through the link in the description so he can make more of these// Out of every group so far they seem the most happy to be interviewed. It's probably bc the goal of reading in public is to some day be interviewed about reading in public

[@remusracingro3884]

:))))

[@MrDaraghkinch]

The interruption gets them off the hook with their super-ego.

[@Baronnax]

They're just glad that someone acknowledges the fact that they're reading in public, the main reason they do it in the first place.

[@poisonjunebug]

​@@Baronnax😅

[@PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworth]

@@Baronnax| I read in public cuz I needed to be in public for some reason, but also refuse to put my book down.

[@sn00dles83]

I don’t read books in public, but I’d imagine the reason they do it is because they like the environment and not for the attention, like they’d do it even if they were invisible. Youre doing this entire thing for attention projecting your needs onto other people just living their life

[@deirdrebeecher3508]

Nothing I hate more than someone interrupting my reading to ask me about it....but the avoidant attachment is spot on.

[@queball685]

people do that often??

[@deirdrebeecher3508]

It was usually fellas back in the days when I was a cute little nerd girl. These days I'm generally left in peace. @@queball685 🤣

[@babadukferdi]

I'm a dude and I get asked a lot. I usually just awkwardly give out the name of the book and leave it at that, never know if they want me to explain it or what.

[@kckasem3360]

​@@queball685 Yes, and then they go "oh. is it any good?" and you say "well, I haven't finished it" and then they go on their way and you've lost your place.

[@ja-qk4vd]

avoidant attachment? complete opposite. im sitting in a corner aboiding pple as much as poss and invariably s.o comes up and stsrts talking. just bargesin asduming have right to.interrupt. wtf.

[@toetruck1589]

2:20 dude was just going over notes 😭

[@jamoi4934]

that crime and punishment line is one of the truest things ever spoken

[@cinnamanstera6388]

Great book.

[@imnottellingyoumyname411]

I literally just finished it and I felt geniune, physical happiness when I did

[@pokpok97642]

who else criming their punishment rn?

[@Kalyosa]

@@pokpok97642🤨🤨🤨🤨👨🏼‍💻🧑🏻‍💻👩🏼‍💻

[@TediousDraven]

Terrific book. I enjoyed it a lot!

[@ItsMeBenson]

Well done, Frankie. Spoken like a true non-public book reader but a true artist ❤

[@victorkreig6089]

I watch every Frankie video in 240p because I know high definition still hasn't made it's way to ireland yet and I don't want to flex on being ahead of them

[@Melanie-jy2nw]

I like reading at the park because then I get some fresh air and way better lighting then in my apartment. Plus, I really love that when I look up from my book, I’m not looking at a bland wall but at a lake and trees. Nature is a way better view 😅

[@RedSiegfried]

Are there really people who think people reading in public are doing it for attention? Reading these comments leads me to believe that. Wow. Maybe I'm just missing the sarcasm. I hope so.

[@TheRealBillix]

It’s fact

[@lutschmeinezehe]

@@TheRealBillix so fact dude

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

some might. But it's probably a very low %. Most commenters here might envy the ability to forget the external world and focus on a single thing for an extended period of time. I know I'm proud of that ability :P If that makes me pretencious, so be it. My commutes are much more enjoyable because of it. It'd be like feeling bad for being in good shape haha

[@inkyami7719]

Sounds to me like a huge projection of insecurities on their part, since they can't fathom any reason to be reading in public other than "to look smart".

[@zirkereuler5242]

I don't think it is a stretch considering most of society's mentality is focused on public image

[@nskfsr]

Where I live people from all age range read book in public transportation, markets, malls, parks etc. so idk about the tictocification. It's more like a culture.

[@poopoppy]

I think people who wear nose rings deserve an episode!

[@bikerjon8934]

no...tattoos

[@M077Y]

agreed, and I have one (and septum)

[@kckasem3360]

@@bikerjon8934 everyone has tattoos, wouldn't be interesting

[@youtubecensors5419]

Everyone has face piercings too. It would be like doing one of these about people carrying a Starbucks cup. I think doing one about people picking up after their dogs as people are picking up after their dogs would elicit some interesting reactions.

[@danielhobbyist]

​@@youtubecensors5419nose rings are a minority. Idk where you're from

[@isaiasabinadisosagarcia936]

I have no idea how I got here but I'm glad I'm here cause that girl's reaction on 0:46 killed me LOL

[@TomWonderful]

I switched to ebooks on my phone because I was paranoid about this exact scenario. I figured it was just anxiety and that nobody really cared what I did, but seeing this actually happen to four people really solidified my paranoia.

[@Emiliapocalypse]

I feel anxious staring at my phone too long in public because I assume I’ll be judged for that. Just going to look at my feet from now on

[@wilhelmvg9978]

The truth is no one really cares what you’re doing lol.

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

@@Emiliapocalypse stare at a book at least! Eventually, you'll read it out of boredom ;P seriuosly tho: most people will envy you, if anything, because they can't focus on anything for more than a few minutes, thanks to our screen-based society

[@alexthompson6344]

I did that a work when i was younger because a coworker made a remark about me reading on breaks. I started finding books on my phone so it would look like i was just scrolling.

[@jewelweed6880]

​@@alexthompson6344because scrolling is so much better, apparently. 🎉

[@samlasley798]

I read in public because I’ve made reading my default activity instead of being on my phone and I think I feel better because of it

[@dg1178]

This comment section is filled with terminally online people who watch tiktoks all day and cannot comprehend some of us don't have any social media and have no idea what they are on about. Apparently it has something to do with "book tok"? No wonder people are so depressed these days. They can't even read a book in public without feeling embarrassed.

[@barisharslan6997]

@@dg1178 FR one guy said he felt full of himself to bring a book to the doctor's office waiting room like as if that's not one of the prime fucking places you can read lmao

[@samlasley798]

@@dg1178 Mmm it is sad people find it so hard or weird to “unplug” as it were, even for just a little while. I could swear phones are the new cigarettes; casually addictive, readily available and our time's symbol of cool

[@smorrow]

@@dg1178 Reading under a tree or some shit was always an arsehole move, nothing to do with social media.

[@sonofben3322]

@@smorrowi think it's less of an arsehole move and more that it makes you feel insecure

[@RambleChristianPodcast]

This makes me feel so much better about not being able to comprehend what I'm reading while in public.

[@nikkireigns]

I used to read in class or during any free time in school to prevent any social interaction, so this terrifies me.

[@hnyii]

oooh, I had forgotten I used to do this. Now I'll have to deal with that piece of information about myself

[@bnezabela1635]

I used to read books whenever I found free time to help improve my deteriorating mental state. after watching this my mental state has improved, and I will start reading books to create a spectacle of a spectacle of a spectacle. thank you Meditations for the anxious mind, for curing my depression.

[@DestroyerMariko]

It's been a long time since I read a book in public. This video has inspired me to give it another go... right after I finish watching another gazillion videos instead of doing whatever I was supposed to be doing before the algorithm came along and threw this at me.

[@INTJ_5w4]

I absolutely love the monotone tone he has to make jokes. He is incredibly funny.

[@Mustlord_Guitar_Ambient]

0:30 Books like this could certainly double as an offensive weapon.

[@angryturtle7436]

tbh i read my book at outside cuz i live in toxic house where i constantly feel anxiety and stress

[@kckasem3360]

I've had to take to reading a book in public because one time when I was reading on my phone this kid up in a building kept hollering at me "get off yer phone!!!! get off yer phone!!!!" over and over and the public shaming of it all has left me traumatized. So you see, it's really the fault of the children that I've become a huge snob

[@Pazaluz]

That kid probably isn't allowed on his phone and can't stand to see someone else enjoying it xD

[@AdoptedPoo]

"Traumatised" bro grow a pair

[@stingrae919]

@@AdoptedPooit’s called a joke. Why are you offended? Grow thicker skin

[@AdoptedPoo]

@@stingrae919 bro ngl in this day an age i wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't a joke, so what do you expect you greasy bastard.

[@kckasem3360]

​@@AdoptedPoo I dunno man, if you can't understand hyperbole I'm honestly surprised you're getting anything out of Frankie's videos at all lmao

[@heyimsteven5311]

Thank you so much for this. I've been struggling with anxiety for years now and this documentary helped me realize my struggles and helped me to ease my anxious mind.

[@bobsmith5088]

I read in public while wearing crocs before going to the movies alone. I don't give a f.

[@frankyymilkyy9001]

Should you?

[@bobsmith5088]

@@frankyymilkyy9001 Why shouldn't I?

[@mathdavies9546]

Was the movie an adaptation of the book you read in public ?!

[@PWORLD3121]

No it was an adaptation of his KZbin comment above.

[@PWORLD3121]

That they’ve made before.

[@Foretelling]

I read books in public because I find it easier to focus on the book there. At home, I'm liable to stop reading and boot up a video game. Nothing beats reading a book in a comfy chair in a nice cafe, with a lovely cup of coffee and a danish of some sort.

[@trid3nt749]

You made me question reality when you mentioned annoying summaries of "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoyevsky, while staring into my soul, because that's EXACTLY what I've been reading in the train to uni for the past weeks. I now feel obliged to give my summary of it.

[@parkerstroh6586]

got anything to say about it?

[@trid3nt749]

@@parkerstroh6586 Amazing book, highly recommend it, especially if you're a bit interested in psychology

[@OrNaurItsKat]

Come on then

[@udontevenwannaknowbruv]

Give your summary, we will not stop until you give your summary

[@parkerstroh6586]

@@udontevenwannaknowbruv he needs enough people to comment so that it will be public

[@whizzerbrown1349]

Nah but that bit about the Oscar Wilde quotes hit so much harder than I was prepared for

[@15puns]

I brought a book to a doctors appointment recently as the wait time was tremendous; did feel a bit full of myself ngl

[@dogchaser520]

Why did you feel full of yourself? What is so remarkable about reading a book?

[@barisharslan6997]

what a weird thing to think.

[@dogchaser520]

@@FilledWithDetermination Ah, yeah, I forgot: if someone says something, particularly in a comedy video, it's bound to be true. I can tell we have a public book reader among us!

[@cgme9535]

I feel full of myself too. Most people don’t read books and it’s seen as an “intellectual” thing to do. So, yeah, I also feel that way when I read in public. Others probably won’t admit it though.

[@dogchaser520]

@@FilledWithDetermination Yes, and it's not incorrect that some people do read in public to cultivate a sort of image. Others just like to read. Or are trying to pass time in a doctor's office. A phone is pretty boring if you don't use social media and have caught up on all your emails and the news for the day.

[@janatardi8413]

As someone who reads in public, I'd say I do it because reading at home includes a 75% chance of me accidentally falling asleep :)

[@PropaneWP]

People who use their phones in public = people. People who read books in public = attention seeking freaks. People who make KZbin videos in public = heroes of the people.

[@flaminggorilla909]

Just harassing a bunch of people doing the required reading 30 mins before class. Nice.

[@Johnryan78045]

Thank you Frankie for satisfying some sick part of my psyche with your videos

[@AUserIGuess]

I know this is an ironic video, I'm not entirely daft, but are there people who genuinely think you're trying to put on some kind of image or seeking attention because you're... reading outside? the absolute last thing I'd want is someone trying to pay any attention to me when I'm reading, and I like to read on a commute or when I'm waiting on someone or something because people are a lot less likely to talk to me than if I pulled out a ball of yarn and made a hat

[@elizaj4431]

I read in public because I enjoy reading and if I'm sitting somewhere its a nice way to spend the time. Sometimes I hike somewhere and a nice way to rest, relax, hang and enjoy the view is to read. I prefer books because I'm something of a luddite and sometimes find the phone intrusive and like to leave it behind and not use at times. I have the uneasy sensation the phones are more and more controlling us than we are controlling our phones. I prefer the feel of a book and find it usually easier on my eyes somehow so long as there's adequate light. And I've found you need to sometimes be more cautious with the quality of digital books in terms of editing, abridgments, or alterations.

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

that sensation is a fact. It actually changes our brains, making us addicted to non-stop, ephimeral stimuli. Which is very bad news.

[@BoreasCastel]

If you're going to read a book, it can simply be nicer to read it outside in fresh air and natural light.

[@reallymakesyouthink]

I read books in public, well not in public as I don't go out and not books because I read stuff on my phone.

[@darraghtormey1500]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@stop_bringing_me_up_in_goo167]

Like me right now

[@polytropeia]

I literally just came back home after going outside to read. I stumbled upon this video by mere chance after a friend who would have no way of knowing what I'd been doing sent it to me. One minute passed and this guy just roasted everything about this day I had with such precision that I feel like doing more reading in public just out of spite now. Haha jokes, awesome channel, will subscribe now

[@Maria7Maria]

0:57 It was at this moment that the poor lad realised that he was, in fact, not French

[@drew8235]

I think if someone sat down beside me and asked me what I was reading, I would fight them.

[@MrDaraghkinch]

The public book reader is not to be confused with the public house book reader. The latter being the zenith of Irish cultural participation.

[@joshuajohnson3296]

Wow, applying a post-structuralist, Foucauldian, and Roland-Barthian analysis to the exhibitionary nature and simulacrum of public book reading is a bon mot, and truly a sight to behold. Frankie, you are a philosophical and sociological genius!

[@astrounwrapped]

This might just be a skit of sorts and the sarcasm might be going over my head - if it is then please feel free to dismiss my comment! I think people are missing the point that reading in public is an excuse for people to get out of their homes and spend much needed time outside, seeing people passing by, catching sunlight and, most importantly, taking a break from the frantic noise of our ever increasing digital lives. I very much do this and can vouch for it - my screen time has been the lowest in years and as a result I've been feeling happier and in peace. Rather than framing this act as a result of 'tiktokification' or 'aesthetics' of reading - which almost seems like shaming those who do it for somewhat sticking out from the crowd - I suggest understanding it as a growing awareness from the younger generations of the fact that perhaps spending most of our times running around and stimulating our brains with flashing colors and enticing sounds isn't good for us. There is no ill will from this comment - and I'm sure this video won't stop people from reading wherever they'd like to - but I would hope that behaviours such as these would be seen through a less judgemental light and encouraged more often. Cheers!

[@avr7120]

im curious how is merely sitting outside good for you? i understand going for a walk (one of my favourite activities) but not moving at all??

[@dogchaser520]

@@avr7120 Human beings need sunlight to produce vitamin D. You can get around this with ~20 minutes of daily light therapy using a cheap full spectrum lamp made for the purpose, but it's easy to forget. Much easier to just go outside. Also, indoor air quality tends to be dramatically worse than outdoor. Harmful chemicals can accumulate. Finally, if you go outside and are near nature, that has proven psychological benefits. Simply being outside, even sitting on your porch, is good for you.

[@dg1178]

@@avr7120 The sun. Vitamin D.

[@avr7120]

@@dg1178 sure but you can get it from food without the added skin cancer :D though maybe im just salty im the type of person who gets sunburn even in negative temperatures

[@dg1178]

@@avr7120 Also, some people want to just get out of the house. Getting fresh air and hearing birds chirping is generally relaxing. When you are cooped up inside all day working, it can be nice to go outside and read. Most people go for a walk AND read. Crazy idea, i know.

[@missc2742]

I think we're reaching a low point if reading something that's not on a screen is taboo. Some people have to read a lot for their job and don't want to sit inside all day. If that makes you insecure, maybe ask yourself why? Still funny.

[@smorrow]

I feel like I can tell the difference between someone reading in public because they're le intellectual and someone who *has a job*.

[@sonofben3322]

@@smorrowcan you also tell when someone does it because they enjoy it?

[@n0isyturtle]

People who read books in public think they are smarter than you, and they usually are.

[@CamilaTempesta-no3lq]

feeling superior to others is like half the fun of reading

[@Pinkman3000]

I have been casually reading the same chapter in meditations at a cafe next to the laundromat I go to every weekend for the past couple months. Really hope no one asks what its about because I dont even know 😅

[@vaukest5888]

In the same boat. I thought maybe skipping to the different books in meditations would help. It didn't help. I'm sure Marcus Aurelius was really smart, but that doesn't concern my smoov brain.

[@lufufi3iboo]

​@@vaukest5888it's not really about anything he's just saying words

[@marias.wainwright3481]

Why does this video and the entire channel looks like it was filmed in 2007 lmao it feels so cozy like those earlier youtube videos in the late 2000s and early 2010s where it was just a creator and their idea against the world, thanks to the algorithm

[@roryphelan7134]

This ones personal. You can tell.

[@syzygythenightwingwatches]

Okay, but seriously. Crime and Punishment is genuinely a good novel. I would most certainly begin explaining the plot unannounced to any unsuspecting people in the middle of a normal conversation. (Any Dostoevsky enthusiasts out there?)

[@grenade8572]

I read this book a few years ago. I don't remember it very well, but I remember it was a cery goid book. I should read it again, but there too much books I want to discover or read again... 😅

[@CillBill94]

It's good but it's not as good as the second Hunger Games book

[@euthypro8531]

I saw Frankie in Trinity today, great experience watching him look to find a place to sit and eat his lunch.

[@itsmeolivialee]

As a public reader with social anxiety, I'm only reading one line from the book over and over.

[@redsands1001]

If i read at home I'll get distracted by video games or art projects

[@gaemr_o5147]

How is this anything but a you problem? Seems like you need to work on yourself

[@bobsmith5088]

@@gaemr_o5147 How is this a problem at all when you can just read in public?

[@redsands1001]

@@gaemr_o5147I work on my scowl so people don't ask me about what i'm reading

[@gaemr_o5147]

@@bobsmith5088 you’ve got to be trolling. You don’t think it’s a problem that OP doesn’t have the willpower to stay focused on reading when he’s at home

[@qwertyTRiG]

​@@gaemr_o5147Finding solutions to problems is good, actually. If OP focuses better in a public place, then that's what works for them and that's fine. It's not even uncommon. Studying in cafés is a trope for a reason.

[@ven5646]

It's honestly kind of cute how must people start cracking up after he's been rambling for a sec

[@morty4815162342]

Mate, your monologues are so well written.

[@tamara10]

I'm not like the other people who read books in public, I read ebooks on my phone in public

[@MCart1215]

By looking down on public readers, who look down on non-public readers, you are just as pompous as the public readers

[@someoneunknown7655]

I didn’t know reading books in public was a “thing”, I just like reading books

[@Pati1989]

0:20 "Public book readers aren't paying attention to the plotline of reality" XD my favourite line

[@justaemptymall]

What was that angelic and beautiful music playing in the background? :) This whole video felt like a dream. A good one.

[@meditationsfortheanxiousmind]

It’s a piece of music I made on my laptop

[@justaemptymall]

​@@meditationsfortheanxiousmindHave you released it yet? I just love it :) great work of art. I would buy it or give a donation if it's available somewhere.

[@redliv]

The guy in white T 1:19 is so cute 😊

[@thechuckleshow2470]

What's his id

[@djtdlaw]

Your videos are brill'. Love the commentaries. Genius

[@Squashmalio]

tiktok/youtube people ruined reading in public. I know this video is being ironic, but people genuinely do think you're trying to look smart or something when you read in public because they project their own obsession with portraying an artificial image of themselves onto everyone else

[@lovkive]

this is one of the best things i’ve seen in all my years on youtube

[@milobeans8478]

I loved this so much. I read books in public. Well done.

[@djordjetosic4553]

I'm just trying to improve my focus a bit, whilst enjoying the weather. It gets me of my PC or my phone, changes the monotony. I don't actually think i am better, but i do think other people should try it too. People often recommend TV shows to me, and even tho I am on the slower spectrum of readers, i love "wasting" time on a book instead of watching a TV show. Feels more productive, even if both are entertainment.

[@Browncoyote]

I am watching in California. Dude, you are killing it. Keep making these!

[@nelsonphillips]

its his job now. If he stops he will lose his livelihood and any purpose. He we surely shrive up into a wrinkled scrotum and become no more.

[@M0tt0ri]

First time watching your content. Square format? beautiful.

[@fwuuton]

I don't read books in public but I do study better in public. I miss the noise of a highschool classroom surrounded by competitive people pushing me to concentrate better.

[@ginger_lemon5159]

I didn't know i needed this channel.

[@poopoppy]

I'm a public reader. I have absolutely nothing to look at on my phone. I don't understand what people are doing on their phone. I don't understand or use social media also :D

[@queball685]

youtube and chrome

[@icankillbugs]

Yet here you are.

[@syrup-man6704]

@@icankillbugs combuter