Why is there an entire generation of adults who have only read Harry Potter and other similar young adult/teen fiction...

Why is there an entire generation of adults who have only read Harry Potter and other similar young adult/teen fiction? What caused this problem and how can it be fixed?

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Let them read their Harry Potter. I don't want them trying to talk to me about anything higher level than that

Because we live in an age of rampant selective intellectualism where studying philosophy or literature is considered a silly, pretentious waste of time.

>What caused this problem?
you having a no real world concept of how things actually are and instead believing every bullshit thing you read on Veeky Forums

Most adults don't read ANY books. Most of Harry Potter's fanbase is either kids or people who grew up reading them and can't let go.

Because the west started to completely fall apart in 1918 and the years following that have just tried to imitate its previous glory in different ways, straying further away from what it was built on. Everything seemed like it was going okay for a while which made people completely forget what they were and collective meaning was lost.
Now the only meaning is ego stroking and hedonistic endeavors.
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They wouldn't have read anything otherwise.

It's a shame that these brats have been raise on one of the dullest franchises in the history of movie franchises. Seriously each episode following the boy wizard and his pals from Hogwarts Academy as they fight assorted villains has been indistinguishable from the others. Aside from the gloomy imagery, the series’ only consistency has been its lack of excitement and ineffective use of special effects, all to make magic unmagical, to make action seem inert.

Perhaps the die was cast when Rowling vetoed the idea of Spielberg directing the series; she made sure the series would never be mistaken for a work of art that meant anything to anybody, just ridiculously profitable cross-promotion for her books. The Harry Potter series might be anti-Christian (or not), but it’s certainly the anti-James Bond series in its refusal of wonder, beauty and excitement. No one wants to face that fact. Now, thankfully, they no longer have to.

>a-at least the books were good though
"No!"
The writing is dreadful; the book was terrible. As I read, I noticed that every time a character went for a walk, the author wrote instead that the character "stretched his legs."

I began marking on the back of an envelope every time that phrase was repeated. I stopped only after I had marked the envelope several dozen times. I was incredulous. Rowling's mind is so governed by cliches and dead metaphors that she has no other style of writing. Later I read a lavish, loving review of Harry Potter by the same Stephen King. He wrote something to the effect of, "If these kids are reading Harry Potter at 11 or 12, then when they get older they will go on to read Stephen King." And he was quite right. He was not being ironic. When you read "Harry Potter" you are, in fact, trained to read Stephen King.

>As I read, I noticed that every time a character went for a walk, the author wrote instead that the character "stretched his legs."
>I began marking on the back of an envelope every time that phrase was repeated.

I know this is a copypasta but I want to point out that the word "stretch" is used seven times in the first book and none of the usages of the word have to do with legs.

Heaven help people who consume entertainment!!!!!!

The problem is that adults have no interest in anything except children's books. Or at least that's what OP is saying.

That's completely retarded and wrong.

Gee whiz how old are you?

By "people" you mean women and effeminate men.

Where do you get "only" from? If anything most people have only watched the shit movies.

Maybe because there's nothing to "graduate" to after reading Harry Potter, except slightly more highbrow works of a similar mass-market type. There's nothing in the series that really guides you to great literature. The idea that any kind of reading is good is predicated on the completely wrong assumption that people will naturally migrate to better works as they get older.

>The vast majority of people are stupid
When has this not been the case though?

What do you think the world was like before Harry Potter?
Hint: people weren't reading Joyce in their free time

Nothing can convince me that all of you are over the age of 18 and most likely virgins.

otherwise*

heh, try again. I'm 19 buddy.

You're generalizing - it's not an entire generation but stupid people. It's not a problem because there will always be stupid people but if you want to make a difference, you can attempt to show them how childish and basic the books are and recommend better ones that act as a gateway to more sophisticated and challenging literature. But it's much easier to just live and let live.

LOOK AT THESE PLEBS I AM BIG BRAIN I PRETEND TO READ BOOKS ONLINE HARRY POTTER FOR SNOWFLAKES YOU TRIGGERED XD

KEK try way hard

I really agree here and think this speaks to a wider, rose tinted view of our elders. It comes up a lot in music with the whole 'le wrong generation' fad, as though there is no 60s equivalent of mumble rap (i.e popular music that is seen to be unintelligent)[I have nothing against mumble rap it's just a hot button example].

Confirmed

go back to tumblr

So you're convinced that I'm an underage non-virgin? Thanks mang.

Why does Dorian Grey look like an Indian on this cover?

Most of those who have read hp as a kid or ado regret it now, well,maybe ?

The only difference really is that the world used to be divided into the educated, who read classics because that was basically all that was there, and the not so educated or uneducated who read nothing. Now there's a wider range of books catering to all interests and thought levels, including anything from nothing, to magazines, to Harry Potter, to classic literature. There's nothing wrong with that, don't be such a pretentious asshole. People can read what they want.

hello /r/eddit

So not giving a fuck about what other people read makes me a redditor now? I had no idea you all cared so much about the rest of the world.

I wouldn't say that's entirely true, it's not an entire generation. A small percentage still read classics (voluntarily, lots of people still read them for school), and it's probably not shrunk so much from previous generations. The vast majority haven't enjoyed Literature and philosophy for most of history, be it because of a lack of education or interest.

>tfw the death of literature is being ushered in by the hands of critical theoristscultural marxists, and their disciples, who have read nothing but Harry Potter and its caliber.
Don't cry for me. I'm already dead.

reading shouldn't be taught in general unless you show aptitude for it. And I don't mean trainable shit that richfags would just pay to hammer into their kids like asians and upper middle class white faggots do with (((SAT prep))). Only top 20% tested g-factor. Everyone else would be better off being illiterate.

>34 posts and no mention of the international frugalists

>people are retarded
>the solution is to make them more retarded

Half literates are one thousand times worse than illiterates.
People in the 115-135 iq range shouldn't read.

would you dress up your dog or cat and try to pretend it's a person unironically?

that's like this entire website

now that I think about it, it's not just IQ though. There are plenty of people with IQ's in the 130-150 range who are too oversocialized to contribute anything as well, and who should be kept illiterate for their own good.

I'd say 130+ IQ and schizotypal/aspergers only in an ideal world.

>it takes an IQ higher than 135 to be "literate"
jesus christ put some effort into your bait

>What caused this problem
Rise of invisible style. After that most adult fiction was written at the 8th grade level.
>and how can it be fixed?
It can't.

wow I just barely made the cut

Common folk never have and never will read. Most don't have the mental drive to maintain such focus, which, is fine so long as there remains an intellectual elite.

Well I mean of all the things you could do with your life studying philosophy and literature is really a huge waste of time. None of that is going to pay the bills at least not for the majority. But then again so is TV, video games, and all other hobbies when you look at. So as long as you realize that its a hobby then there is no reason for people to look down on you.

people will look down on you literally no matter what you do and who you are

This

This

And this

What are you paying the bills for? The bills only exist to do more important shit like philosophy

Ok but you aren't going to pay them with philosophy so you need to have another plan.

like jesus fuck, how do you even live with such a depressing mindstate without blowing your brains out? You have to have purpose in life, and that purpose shouldn't be something stupid and pedestrian like paying the bills.

>tfw have gf who studied philosophy and literature and makes shitloads of money

...

>studying philosophy and literature is really a huge waste of time
Depends on what you mean by waste of time. Monetarily sure, it's not gonna pay the bills like accounting or something. However, is meaning derived by how much money something brings in? Is everything a waste of time if it doesn't pay the bills? does fulfillment not carry weight? I feel that most people these days including me are technically literate but their souls are uneducated.

I try to integrate whatever I do into understanding the world as a whole. To be fair, I'm a stemfag studying dynamic systems, but most things you do in life can be integrated in a similar way if you try. The whole point is that career/,money is always secondary to a higher ideal

Look who is running our publishing industry.

Never said thats someones sole purpose but it is a reality unless you want to be eating from a dumpster. I'm with you that it is sort of depressing. I'm still coming to terms with it.

Ok cool but thats not normal for most people.

No like I said there are hobbies, but if you sit on your ass 24/7 watching TV for whatever reason then yes you are wasting your time. You need a balance.

Not sure what you mean by your higher ideal. Most times when people are asked about your ideal self the person will say something like "working successfully in X or having a good career in Y or getting married, etc." so I think to many their ideal is to have a lot of money and be respected.

>Ok cool but thats not normal for most people.

Philosophy graduates unironically can make a lot of money in the consulting game. Companies hire them because they're proven intelligent if they can get a decent grade in a philosophy degree. It won't get you a job out of the box like a lot of undergrads will but if you're willing to do any amount of extra work and aren't a lazy shit you can make a fuck load.

It's reading nonetheless.

So?

>all books are equal lmao

>pursuing deeper meaning and understanding is merely a hobby while being a wage cuck is a good use of your limited time on Earth
>T.
Stay pleb.

cuz if u read books u'll never git a jerb, don't u want to compete wit da imigrintz? betta lern to c0de amirite

Genreshit has existed for as long as literacy has been widespread