Title: Why people like to read | Pew Research Center
Headings: Why people like to read
Why people like to read
Content: In their own words, respondents were eloquent and touching. One respondent noted: “ I am an English teacher, so I read to save my sanity from grading essays.” Those who talked about quiet entertainment tended toward phrases like “a stress-free escape,” “a nice way to relax,” “I read because it’s not work,” “diverting, entertaining and educational,” and “It draws me away from reality.” That was echoed by a respondent who said reading “takes you away, like a movie in your head.” One wryly said he liked reading “because it helps me with my temper and relaxes me.” Those who talked about personal enrichment used phrases like “being able to experience so many times, places, and events.” Others expressed pleasure at living a “life of the mind.” For many, reading was a proud lifestyle choice: “ It’s better for me to imagine things in my head than watch them on TV.”