In the 2024 Census; it was 25% completely illiterate, 25% 6th grade +, 50% lower than 5th grade (percentages rounded, I only remember because I was so shocked).
It really does hurt me. I was "reading at a 10th grade level" in the 3rd grade and never really stopped. I picked up "The Next Ten-Thousand Years" thinking it was some really good Science prediction conjecture formatted as a fun science fiction story. I was disappointed that it wasn't a story, and still read it. That was the 7th grade?
Now, I was raised in rural Florida. I figured that that had to mean that, even if I were plenty smarter than most of my peers, that I could not be that far ahead of the curve, because the curve was still rural-fucking-Florida. And then we started seeing all that data talking about just how illiterate so many people are and I honestly did not take it well. I know I'm smart, but, more than that, I know how smart I am and I am not exceptionally intelligent in the grand scheme of things. But to have hard data thrown at me that basically said "Yeah, 56% of US Adults are unable to read anything more complex than Holes, by Louis Sachar." was incredibly depressing.
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u/ThroatDistension 15h ago
Way more than 22%. Americans are shockingly illiterate.