The reading race
This article explores how reading challenges have shifted from a fun summer activity for children to a performative, target-driven pursuit for adults. It argues that the focus has moved from the actual content of books to the social validation of meeting quantitative reading goals.
O nce upon a time, reading challenges used to appear during summer vacations. Teachers, faced with the prospect of children spending two months attempting dangerous bicycle stunts or climbing dangerous places, encouraged them to read a few books. The objective was simple. Keep the children occupied, keep their parents sane, and prevent their brains from rusting entirely during the holidays. This ensured that when the school reopened, students could still identify a book. The reward for reading a book was generally stickers, or if you are particularly lucky, another book.
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