Everyone has their hobbies, right? And most people don’t judge, but what I’ve seen is that if you specifically have the hobby of reading, you get judged most of the time.

People have a comment that irritates people that like to read, like, “oh you don’t look like someone who reads” or “you like to read? That’s lame” or “you’re lame,” and to be honest, I don’t know why people consider it weird, lame,or nerdy.

Others have different hobbies as well. It’s not like we judge you based on what your hobby is.

Bookworm Stereotypes

Some people think reading is nerdy because of a stereotypical idea that only smart people read. They’re good students, they do all their work in class, they’re a  “teachers pet,” ect., right? 

And that’s some BS. A lot of different groups have stereotypes, like how football boys are jerks who struggle in school or all popular girls are mean, but that doesn’t mean these stereotypes are true. And sometimes there’s some reason behind why a stereotype exists, but we shouldn’t make false rumors or accusations about a stereotype being true before we get to know a person.

Ellie Martin, a freshman, commented, “No I don’t think [reading’s] nerdy.” When asked why she thinks there’s a stereotype against reading, she said, “Probably because it has to do with school and using your brain so people prefer to not do school related things at home.”

Keep the Negativity to Yourself

I don’t understand how people know they shouldn’t judge based on stereotypes but do anyway. Here’s a fact: it’s annoying. If someone tells you they like reading, there’s no need to say anything about it, to question it, or to say they’re a nerd.

Don’t assume that people have the same tastes or the same personality based on hobbies. There’s no need to be biased about it, and if you are, keep it to yourself.