Reading Habits

While studying at university statistics* was the subject that sent shivers down our spines. After hearing the “good” news that our bachelors’ paper would have to be based on data obtained using one of the psychological research methods, which basically meant that the data would have to be processed using statistical techniques, we went through a small shock. Terms like ANOVA, Students t-test, correlation or regression analyses used to cause a state of fear that could easily be equated to the one experienced by an arachnophobic* after he/she has been shown a huge spider. I guess that’s why I was so happy to hear somebody say – statistics is a science for fools.

But is it really? Because if it’s not, some information, that is presented by Lithuanian sociologists, is very disappointing. According to them in Lithuania only less than one third of the population read books! 34% of the people who took part in the 2007 survey for identifying reading habits of grownups* said that they read no more than 3 books a year, 31% - not even a single book! Only 10% claimed that they conquer more than 15. Is the situation really so bad and can it be true that internet and television are being preferred to a book?

According to the people, who took part in the mentioned study, the main reasons for not reading books or even newspapers are those: lack of time (nearly one third of respondents), insufficient funds (25%), watching TV is a better alternative (21%), too tired for reading (28%). I must admit nowadays time runs quicker and we all tend to try and pack as much as possible into the same 24 hours available to us each day. So I agree that people get stressed and therefore too tired, which leads to them getting involved into some more superficial activity than reading. But there must be a limit to how many banal TV shows you can watch?

I hope that all book lovers would agree that reading you can get to a different world that will offer you comfort and relaxation, that will boost your knowledge and exercise your imagination. At the moment our bookshops offer a very wide selection of all sorts of books. And if you decide to read the newest releases you don’t even have to be able to speak a foreign language – professional translators have never been so busy.

I guess if you really want to get out of reading you could say – ‘books are extremely expensive’. Yes, they are, but then what about the very old invention – libraries (the first ones are believed to have been established by the Sumerian civilization - 6th millennium BC)? In the study that I keep referring to almost 75% of respondents claimed that in the last 12 month they haven’t borrowed a single book and only 17% admitted to have been using public libraries – I bet that if we asked them how often, the answers would disappoint me once again.

Anyway, knowing as much as I know now I just have to draw the conclusion that reading books is no longer important in Lithuania. To cheer myself up I could at least try to believe that the saying - there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics – is correct, but at the moment I’m just not sure…

P.S. Did you know that 2008 is National Year of Reading? Yes, it's comming to an end, but you still have at least two month for trying to change your habits. Don't be in that 2/3 of the population who have nothing to do with books!

P.P.S. A good place to start with for those who speak/read English: http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/

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*Statistics is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. Also with prediction and forecasting based on data. It is applicable to a wide variety of academic disciplines, from the natural and social sciences to the humanities, government and business.

*Arachnophobia (from Greek arachne (αράχνη), "spider" and phobia (φοβία), "fear" ) is a specific phobia, an abnormal fear of spiders. It is among the most common of all phobias.

*2007 survey for identifying reading habits of grownups can be found on this website: http://www.skaitymometai.lt/ (in Lithuanian)