Various reasons for low interest in reading

By Ruby Chen & J. Chun

The low popularity of reading in Hong Kong can be explained in several ways. Heavy workload from schools makes it hard for students to squeeze out time for leisure reading. “Their reading habits are restricted,” said Dr. Chan Man Hung, managing director and chief editor of The Commercial Press. Prof. Gordon Mathews of the Department of Anthropology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong said Hong Kong people highly

value university studies because only 20 percent of secondary students can enter universities. “Therefore, students work very hard in examinations. They put a lot of time into reading textbooks for preparation,” said he. Harriet Wong, a Year 1 student at City University, said, “In secondary school, I was always reading books required by school. I did not have time to go to bookstores and look around.” According to Dr. Chan, another factor is a parental effect. He said, “The attitude of parents towards the purpose of reading is incorrect. They think that reading aims at qualifying people for exams, rather than acquiring knowledge. “It is the parents’ responsibility to accompany their children to bookstores and guide them about what they should read, but nowadays parents rarely do so.” In addition, heavy workloads at workplaces do not allow parents to cultivate children’s reading habits adequately. Prof. Mathews said, “In general, parents in Hong Kong usually do not have the reading habit. They are not even able to tell which books are suitable for their children.” Moreover, a great variety of entertainment diverts people’s attention from reading. “Playing computer games, surfing the Internet and watching movies always keep people away from reading,” said Tang Siu Ming, a video editor at Hong Kong Cable Television. “My colleagues like following the main trend. When going to cyber cafes became trendy, they went there and played online games overnight. They never spend time reading.” Catherine Su, head of the library in the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center, complains that people are now spending more time surfing the Internet than reading books. “People are seeking ways to get information quickly, so they use the Internet. “This could be considered as a normal thing in such a commercial society as Hong Kong,” said Miss Su. Besides, limited space is another factor. Prof. Joseph Bosco of the Department of Anthropology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong said, “Even if people like to buy books, they have to take shelf space at home into consideration.” Lydia Sim Kit Wah, a Year 1 student at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, agrees. She said, “I enjoy reading books, but space in my home is a big factor why I cannot purchase many books.” As an alternative, she either goes to library or turns to other hobbies.

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