I haven't been reading lately (too much Pokemon), so I was struggling to figure out something to recommend. I was scouring blogs and the internet, digging for something to talk about when it occurred to me that I was reading. Blogs, comment sections, chats, info pages, wikipedia. It's all words, and it's all reading, so I figured, why not remind people that that is reading too. Of course, keeping a teenaged boy focused while on the internet could be an issue. After all, there's plenty of distractions. There's the always-popular cat videos.
I spend a lot of time online on my computer, phone and iPad, just mucking about, not really looking for anything in particular. Cat video distractions aside, I usually just go where the links take me, usually using some sort of reader or news aggregator like Flipboard or Google Reader Play. I read a whole lot of articles about whatever. It's almost like it's a magazine or newspaper, and that's the point. So how is this useful for getting teen boys to read? There's a good chance they're already doing it. Just because they aren't reading dead trees doesn't mean they aren't reading at all. So what can they read? Obviously there is a lot out there that is totally not appropriate and a lot that is borderline, especially for the younger set.
I have recommend a number of times material from cracked.com. The language is occasionally salty and some of the articles are upper-PG-13, but it's nothing most kids haven't already heard. They are usually lists about science and history with weird facts, myths and oddities thrown in.
Yahoo has some fine sports blogs that go beyond straight reporting and go into opinion, analysis and straight-up comedy as they see fit, and that's only the beginning. Most major sports teams have both official and fan-created blogs that cover minor stories that don't make the major news outlets.
If guys have any obsessive interests (games, tv series, movies, comics, etc.), there's a wiki for it. If they are interested enough, they might even contribute. Try just about anything on wikia.com.
There are, of course, millions of other options. These are just three that I look at regularly.
MR RIPLEY'S ENCHANTED BOOKS: Children's Book Cover Illustration Competition
- ROUND FOUR - 2024/25
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We welcome YOU once again to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books 15th Annual
Children's Book Cover Illustration Competition! This vibrant event
showcases and celeb...
1 week ago
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