Summary
Concerns about American men reading less fiction have sparked cultural debates linking the trend to toxic masculinity and political shifts, such as increased support for Donald Trump.
Men read fewer books and less fiction than women, but the gap is modest. 73% of men and 78% of women read books annually, with fiction readership differing by 10-17%.
The exaggerated 80/20 gender fiction market split lacks verified sources.
Critics argue the “crisis” reflects fears about male disengagement, yet male authors still dominate bestseller lists and literary awards, complicating the narrative.
More than half the country can’t read at a sixth grade reading level, they read below that.
I think we should be far more worried about basic literacy in general.
If you can’t fucking read, you don’t usually do a whole lot of it.
part of that is reading is a skill. You don’t use it, you lose it.