Why do people do not read short stories?

Answer 1

It seems to me that most short stories appear in literary magazines, which is not something the average person reads. That might be part of it. It might also be that the average person doesn't like to read anything, let alone short stories.

Many people do like short stories because they can be read in a very little time and are usually entertaining. People who don't like to read don't read them, though, and there are some people who prefer longer books.