Why is There a Gender Gap Among Readers?
Curious about a recent statistic I read that more than one in five (21%) of Kiwi blokes don't read books, I conducted a quick, massively unscientific survey of Mr Blackwell's peers.
Of five middle-class, middle-aged white guys, that was exactly the number I was able to reinforce: one of five who didn't read a book at all in the last 12 months, as well as another two who moved a little uncomfortably before admitting they "don't read as much as they should" or that they wish they'd make time to read more often. (However, the latter — like exercise and healthy eating — I think is probably true for the majority of people, regardless of gender!)
This statistic — both my unscientific poll and the more official one — stacks up globally as well.
The Pew Research Center reports that 32% of American men reported not having read a book in the past year (compared to 22% of American women), and the statistics are roughly the same around the world — despite the fact that globally, women are more likely to be illiterate than men.
Globally, women are more likely to be avid readers, more likely to read daily, and more likely to have read more books in the past year than men.
Mr Blackwell reading on an Analogue Sunday afternoon at Brac n Bow 😍
But why are men less likely to be readers?
Reading habits are often formed in childhood, and so adult men are likely continuing habits (or lack thereof) that began at a young age.
If fathers are less likely to read themselves, their sons are also less likely to emulate them. In fact, research suggests fathers of sons are less likely to read to their sons than fathers of daughters. And generally, boys are more likely to choose gaming or sports over reading as a hobby than girls, and less likely to say that they enjoy reading.
Deloitte Global predicts that globally, men will continue to read less than women overall, and they suggest publishers focus on adapting titles men may already be familiar with — from movies, TV shows and games — into novels, or focus on audiobooks as a way to engage reluctant male readers.
Why men should read at least one book per year (according to a man):
As a bookseller, reasons to read is a topic of conversation I've had many times and in many shapes and forms. But usually with women and usually with those who are already converts — they are in a bookstore after all.
For myself, I enjoy the pleasure of the singular focus of paper books (I'm simply concentrating on one page at a time and I'm not being interrupted by any notifications) and I deeply value what reading does for my imagination, my sense of self development and my feelings of empathy for others. The latter is often credited to fiction, but for me biographies and memoirs have done much more for my development in this area.
But even before I was a bookseller, it was clear to me that men and women read for very different reasons. My thoughts on this topic easily venture into the little-discussed territory of women-splaining, so I decided to draw on the thoughts of the #1 bloke in my life. I asked Mr Blackwell's for 5 reasons why guys should read at least one book a year and here's (roughly) what he had to say:
You're an athlete and your mind is a major organ. Put at least as much time into developing your mind as you do looking after your body. "But I barely have enough time to get to the gym," you say. Bah! If you're any kind of sportsman you know that recovery is as important to high performance as training is, so use some of that downtime to read a book instead of watching another game of cricket or looking at Reddit.
Appeal to the love of your life with interesting information. Don't show up to dinner with boring stories of what happened at the office or a watered down version of an already flimsy news article you read online. Read a few pages of a book and then deliver with quiet, gentle modesty the gift of new knowledge and insights.
Stretch your comprehension skills. Related to the above, spend some time with the information you've just read, let it simmer in your own noggin and explain it to someone else to help you properly understand what you've just been told. The ability to interpret and explain new information in your own words sharpens the tools in your intellectual toolkit.
Be more interesting. You might think of yourself as pretty interesting and charming but let's be honest, if most of us ran into Barack Obama, or Bear Grylls or Nigel Slater at the pub, we'd probably struggle to keep up our side of the bargain for very long before their eyes started glazing over. Biographies and memoirs are an excellent way to spend time with impressive human beings without the social pressure or the improbability of bumping into them at The White Swan.
Feel like a Marvel superhero. While your mates blast on about sports or Reacher (the Amazon Prime version) watch them stand slack-jawed as you bring an ounce of intellectual perspective to the conversation based on something you read in an actual book. Keep it brief and humble for added impact.
Like me, Mr Blackwell is a non fiction fan and that's reflected in his thoughts. So, for men more inclined to fiction, here's some advice put in a way that only a poet could; Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador Ben Brown says:
“Our superpower is not language alone (however mighty). Our superpower is the application of imagination to the process of story, whereby we are able to envisage anything our mind is able to conjure. Brains only improve by exposure to the unfamiliar terrain of a story it has yet to process.
To you blokes who’ve never read an ‘’actual’’ book in your life, treat your brain, discover our superpower and read at least one book that will reveal to you something you’ve never ever known. If you have a son, read it to him as well.”
If you’re looking to cultivate a reading habit of your own, check out our article on the topic with some helpful hints.
And if you’re looking for a gift that might encourage a reluctant reader in your life, we have suggestions on how to choose a book for someone else — and you can always stop into the shop where our friendly book nerds would be happy to help you in person.
