Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IAMAROBOT]

It occurred to me the other day that I've only seen a handful of kids reading books, and I'm not counting the comic books, I mean real books with chapters and no pictures, the kind of books that require some concentration. Even their textbooks aren't really substantial, just really thin textbooks with a lot of pictures. When they aren't hitting each other, playing computer games, trying to yell over each other, do they have the time or inclination to sit down and concentrate on a book?

I have a theory that kids have a hard time concentrating and paying attention because they don't read. Comic books don't require much concentration and computer games/tv are better at grabbing their attention with loud noises and bright colors better than any teacher can, unless that teacher is willing to jump and dance around like a clown.

I see it in the adults as well. Adults can't seem to live without a TV on hand, on their phones or any place that requires them to sit and wait for more than 30 minutes. Taxi drivers watch TV when they should be concentrating on the road (TV for the enjoyment of the passengers my ass). As a result, even the adults struggle with sitting down and listening when other people are talking (weddings, meetings, etc.). Koreans young and old just seem to have a hard time concentrating and it's driving me nuts.

[climber159]

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/07/03/200907030088.asp

[Skippy]

Not very much. I have a few kids that will read a book. But most are off with comic books and video games like you say. The problem is perception and time. First off most kids rarely have the time to read. It either school, hagwon, or homework and after all that I do not blame a kid if he would like to burn a book rather then read it.

Next is perception. Kids do not want to get labeled as a wongta so they will likely do something with the group rather than be off by themselves. Thus bookworms are an endangered species here in Korea. As Korea is very group culture specific you will get more kids if reading, reading what everybody else reads. So you will not likely find that little geeky kid reading "Lord of the Rings" under a tree. You will likely get another kid reading Harry Potter borrowed from a friend or book store with at least on friend looking over his shoulder.

Also reading is a quiet and slow activity and in this day and age it is all GO, GO, GO which Korea takes to heart and sometimes rarely slows down to smell the roses and read a trashy novel.

[nathanrutledge]

I've got a lot of kids that read here. Some of them read the hybrid novel/comic books, but a lot of them pick up books from the library too and read them. It's definitely less than back in the U.S. (at least my school when I was their age) but I often have to take books from the kids in class when they aren't focusing on our class.

Skippy, I don't get your point about the group mentality? My little brother was reading Harry Potter at the same time all his friends were, and I notice the same thing here. You're right that they all read the same things, but hey, who cares? They're reading at least.

[samcheokguy]

This thread is why Daves is so stupid.
-One guy posted a newspaper article which stated Korea is a profoundly non-reading society.
-By logic, unless you post a contrasting study or link, or provide personal data from another (international source like the UN report) angle, your individual experiences do not matter.
-In other words, Koreans, adults and kids, read less than Europeans or even the Japanese. Why has Japan produced several Nobel Prize Winning Authors? Why hasn't Korea?
-The fact that fewer Koreans read is obviously the answer.

-This is exactly the same as 'Koreans are racist' threads. Korea is racist and xenophobic as a society
http://aparc.stanford.edu/news/koreas_ethnic_nationalism_is_a_source_of_both_pride_and_prejudice_according_to_giwook_shin_20060802/

Who wrote that article? Are you smarter than him? He isn't even a self loathing gyopo. So either you do the 'humble' thing and acept the expert's opinion as fact, you do the 'ambitious' thing and dedicate your life to a study of Korean Ethnic Nationalism, or you do the 'pot-head' thing and post drivel like "Well people used to always think I'm Chinese."

[climber159]

[GreenlightmeansGO]

My girlfriend has read quite a lot, I think. What I would like to know is why Koreans seem to read novels really quickly. Are Koreans able to read Korean faster than 'we' can read English?

[ardis]

Well, my kids are in middle school, so I don't expect them to walk around with a thick stack of heavy literature under their arms.

However, I do have plenty of students I've seen carrying around books, but they are usually females. A couple times, I've had to take books away from kids as they try to read in class, but after class, when I give it back, I make sure to add, "What kind of book is it? Is it good? Sounds interesting, just next time, not in class, okay?" There are some girls who go through the library books like mad. I see them with a new book under their arm every few days.

[fermentation]

[Skippy]

What I meant is the classic individual bookworm. That kid that reads book after book usually with a certain genre in mind like fantasy or sci-fi. The kids in Korea at times will read only what other kids will read because that is what is expected or is in. Which is fine until itself but the classic bookworm kid grabbing a book that most other people likely not read like "Count of Monte Cristo" is rare here.

Also because that Korean do not read ferociously does mean they are stupid.

[fermentation]

[phoneboothface]

Whenever I take the Bundang / Seoul bus 90% of the time I'm the only one reading.

They sleep or text or stare at nothing, mostly.

Read! It's good for your head. And the book is almost always better than the movie...

Anyways nothing new here, this place has plenty of good things going for it but this stuff takes time...

[Captain Corea]

On the subway at rush hour, I'd say a good 50% of people are reading (at least on the lines I take).

As for kids reading, I went to a kids' bookstore last weekend - it was full of 'em reading.

[saw6436]

I can't imagine not reading. Even if i don't have any new books I still read 2-3 books a week. I'll just re-read a book if I have nothing else.

[Papa Smurf]

don't know about this one.

i see tons of people reading on the subway, but it's usually study books or self help books. the amount of time they spend in school and at hagwons, i'd think the last thing they'd want to do is read another book. just my thoughts.