Reading Rate Shaming

Hey guys, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve done anything besides crank out reviews.

I needed a small break lol.

So here we are, let’s discuss reading rate shaming.

What do I mean by that? [I’m clarifying because I know I make little to no sense lol] I mean how fast or slow we read. I could have used the word speed but, I like alliteration.

Lately, on Twitter, I’ve seen people mention that they’ve been shamed for this exact thing, and not necessarily insulted, but made uncomfortable by being asked awkward questions.

Such as, ‘wow how can you read so fast?’ ‘Do you just read all day?’

And of course, there’s the opposite end of the spectrum, but I haven’t seen so much shaming on reading slow, that doesn’t mean that those comments don’t exist, -though I wish they didn’t-.

So….why do people feel the need to comment on how fast or slow people read?

Does it really affect them? No….so…why feel the need to say anything other than ‘that’s great, good job’ because whether you read 1, or 50 books this month, it’s wonderful.

Having any time or ability to do something you enjoy, such as reading, is great.

Some people have more time to read, such as myself, and let me tell you now, I wish I didn’t.

Why? I wish I had a job, I hate that I feel like I personally don’t contribute to my household in any meaningful way, so if someone remarks with maybe something unintentionally hurtful about how much I read, I feel very self-conscious. However, overall I’m usually pleased when people are like ‘wow, you read so much’ it’s the other comments that can be hurtful like I’ve mentioned ‘do you just read all day?’ and that can sometimes have the wrong tone because well, it’s the internet and we’re left to our own devices to interpret it.

[This goes without saying but I’m sure it’s not just on the internet that people get these comments.]

But how do we get over this stigma? Why do we feel the need to question what people do with their time or to make assumptions? A lot of people work, do so much and still read a lot and/or quickly.

And sometimes people don’t need to be bothered with worrying how people perceive how they spend their time.

Whether you read fast or slow, whether you have a little time or a lot, it doesn’t matter.

What are your thoughts on this? Have people made you feel self-conscious about your reading speed?