The Lost Art of Reading

With the advent of e-readers and tablets, one might expect that in general, people spend more time reading than in the past. After all, countless books of every genre imaginable are available at the touch of a button, and for very little cost, too. Unfortunately, reality is far different from such an image. Although the ease of obtaining literature is much greater today, the United States has been experiencing declining rates of reading for leisure. This can lead to negative educational and social changes.

The performance of students in the United States is quite mediocre when compared internationally. School administrators have often been asked “Why is this so? What can be done about this?” A common response to the problem is to instate new programs, pass educational reforms, throw more money at the schools. But is academic achievement solely dependent upon the public education system? Absolutely not!

Students’ comprehension is also closely correlated with the amount of time they spend reading books (besides those required by their classes). According to a report by the National Endowment for the Arts, students who read for leisure almost every day had notably higher reading and writing scores than those who read once a week, once a month, or almost never. They were also much more likely to find a financially rewarding job. The nation’s resources should focus more on promoting daily reading from a young age, instead of ineffective programs such as the No Child Left Behind Act, which is more of a detriment and causes grade inflation.

Why is everyone ignoring their books, then? The answer lies in what has taken their place: smart-phones, computers, gaming consoles, television, and every other species of electronics built to hold our attention hostage. American culture has become almost entirely visual. It is common to find a group of friends staring at their devices rather than engaging in conversation. 

Because the natural incentive to read has been replaced by technology and its addictive forms of entertainment, America has unwittingly devalued its own literacy and intelligence. Instead of a printed newspaper, there are news stations; text messages have replaced written correspondence; movies have replaced books, and those books required by school are interpreted by others on Sparknotes and other such websites. The art of reading is slowly disappearing from American society.

For a full report on the subject compiled by the National Endowment for the Arts, see http://www.nea.gov/research/toread.pdf