With the decline of reading for pleasure in children and even adults, where do you see this heading? Is the decline really big enough to cause concern? Can people get enough information from other types of media to be able to make it in this world? If people are reading the materials necessary for their jobs and schooling, is it a must that they read for enjoyment?
I am wondering if we might not turn into a zombie world. Walking around as if lifeless, with no purpose at all. I was wondering about the world of literature and its impact on our society and I asked these questions: With the decline of reading for pleasure in children and even adults, where do you see this heading? Is the decline really big enough to cause concern? Can people get enough information from other types of media to be able to make it in this world? If people are reading the materials necessary for their jobs and schooling, is it a must that they read for enjoyment? My first question about the decline of reading in adults and children and where it is heading was answered by an article by the National Endowment for the arts. They say that people who don't read are less likely to participate in sports, go to museums, help with community projects, etc. When I did a survey and asked the same question about 60 percent agreed and 40 percent disagreed. Those that disagreed had pretty good thoughts on it. They said that they themselves weren't much on reading and that they still participated in sports activities and such. Those that did agree said that they participated in activities as well as reading and said that those who do not read much seemed more likely to not participate in social and extracurricular activities, but instead sit and watch television. My second question about cause for concern wasn't clearly answered. With all of those that do read out there, still millions, maybe there isn't cause to worry. Then I thought about those that do read and participate and those who just sit at home and do nothing but watch t.v. If those that do not participate in activities in community activities and such start to out number those that do, we just might have a world of zombies. People just might start walking around lost, not knowing how to interact with each other. When I surveyed people asking if they thought it was a bad thing if people read for leisure or not, it was about 50/50. I think to get a more concrete conclusion I would need to survey more people, only about 10 people answered my survey. I didn't ask why they thought it was a good or bad thing. But It came to my mind, why don't people read for leisure? Are the books out there boring? Are they hard to understand. I think with all of the books out there, we need to maybe dig deep sometimes to find ones that are enjoyable. There has to be some kind of book that appeals to each individual persons likes and dislikes. I think authors these days are trying to make their literature more enjoyable by making nice easy to read books, take Amy Tan for instance. She says, "at first I wrote using what I thought to be wittily crafted sentences, sentences that would prove I had mastery over the English language. " Later I decided I should envision a reader for the stories I would write" (Kennedy 135). I think that if we all dig deep maybe we can each find something that appeals to us so that we can keep reading alive. My other question about people getting the same information from other types of media was answered by Dana Goia (NEA) and he said that, "print culture affords irreplaceable forms of focused attention and contemplation that make complex communications and insights possible." So, yes you can get information you need, but the benefits of reading are much more. People are reading for their jobs, but it is not the same as reading for enjoyment. In short, if we don’t do something now, we may have a future where we are all just walking around like zombies lost on how to communicate with each other.
What do you think? Do you think that if we as individuals stop reading for leisure, we may lose our ability to communicate effectively with each other? How important is it to get children to read and keep them reading into their adult lives? Do you agree that reading gives us more than other media can?
These are all great questions. And very hard to answer. I believe that times change. And when they change, we either change with them or cease to be relevant. For example, books are only one way to get information. With the internet and all that it has in the way of information, what was sitting in front of a screen and playing games can be a great way to learn. (Did you know that kids, young kids, can now go to school online? How crazy is that?) I also believe that television can be a learning tool. Look at all of the educational programs out there. People that pooh-pooh TV are being close-minded. However, I am a firm believer in a well-balanced life. Read, watch TV, go online, participate in sports and community events. All of it. If you leave one of those things out, there is a hole in your life for something good. I do think traditional books are on the way out (sniff). Look at Kindle. A friend of mine has an app on her cell phone to read books. I am fighting that change. I look holding a book in my hand. I love the feel of it, the smell of a brand new book, the excitement you get while reading it. I like looking at a book and seeing how far I've read and how much is still left. Kindle doesn't let you do that (as far as I know...I won't touch one). I hope that reading will be a priority in the next generation, but there is information out there for those that want it.
ReplyDeleteOne big advantage to being a reader is that you can spell! Spelling and proper grammar become second nature when you are an avid reader. My husband is very knowledgeable from watching a lot of television, but he is a terrible speller because he does not read. This does interfere with communication. When on facebook or in emails people don't take spelling that seriously, but my husband is so bad that you can't understand his messages sometimes. Being a good speller is important for completing job applications. Being a bad speller can also make you look uneducated which may not be the case.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you Jennifer. I think that a good mix of everything is necessary. Like you said if you leave one of those things out there is a hole in your life for something good. I definitely agree while I do think reading should always be a part of everyones life, the opportunities for learning from television and internet are also things to not miss out on. Just like you said, children can even do online schooling, just like we are right now. It will be sad if t.v. and internet make reading literature a thing of the past though and I do hope that does not happen.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Natalie, being a good reader does help in the spelling area. And being a good speller does help better communication between individuals for sure. I to know someone that is pretty bad at spelling. They are smart, but when it does come to communicating things through spelling that is a hard thing for them. And they definitely aren't a reader and never were. This has hindered them some.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, your blog party posts some very compelling questions. I think that people are slowly losing their ability to communicate in a social setting and I attribute this to the increased use of social media tools like facebook,texting, and twitter. People are talking face to face less frequently than ever and this is causing people to lose their ability to effectively communicate with eachother.
ReplyDeleteThe decline of reading recreationally could be alarming, but it would be hard to really tell until more time has passed. People can more easily access unsurmountable amounts of information at anytime from anywhere, thanks to technological advancements. I think a shift in curriculum needs to occur. Since the places we get our information differs from previous generations of students, different things need to be taught. The seriousness of evaluating the credability of online sources wasn't something that was addressed in an educational setting until I got to college. Instead of taking our kids to the library each week to learn the Dewey Decimal System, we should teach them how to efficiently sift through the hordes of information available at the click of a mouse.
ReplyDeleteAddressing your fear of humans transitioning to zombies, I think that there has been a shift in primary modes of communication. It isn't a matter of whether or not we continue to interact, it is that the mode in which it is done has changed. If I was on the subway and saw a friend on the other end of the car, I wouldn't shout or jump up and down to get their attention if I could not easily navigate through the packed space. I would honestly text them and let them know I was on the same car and probably make an effort to communicate which stops we were getting off at through that same mode. It would be desirable for citizens to see value in the books and media offered at the local library based on the large monetary investment that has been made to aquire it, as well as the time it took to accumulate all of the resources, though times are changing. We can influence and educate others of our opinions and reading values but what they make of them is ultimately their own perogative.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteJason brings up a great point regarding less face time. I believe this is the biggest communication challenge with people today. People are actually getting to know eachother through texting and posting on facebook. I don't believe these are bad things but it definately has an effect on our ability to communicate.
I think reading is a very healthy and educational activity, but I don't know if it gives us more than other forms of media. I feel there are benefits to other types of media and like many of the others who have commented, balance is a good achievement. How do you feel that reading improves our communication?
You have a very good point that there is a definite decline in reading. When I look at all of the distractions that my children have to distract them from reading. I really think that reading is important, not just as recreation. I am an avid reader (5-6 books per week), and textbooks on top of that since I am going to college. I think that reading has benefits and requires your mind to work, but it can be relaxing. I know this thinking is old fashioned. The benefit that I have seen in school is the benefit of speed reading and comprehension skills. It does help your spelling, like Natalie said. And there is nothing like old-fashioned talking face to face like Jason said. I like reading people and their body language. Ok... I could keep going. Really like the blog thoughts... Thanks
ReplyDeleteI agree Jason. We are coming to a point where it seems the only way we can communicate with each other is through facebook, twitter and e-mail. I think you are right in that we do lose our ability to effectively communicate with each other when it is so easy to communicate at the push of a button, or the click of a mouse.
ReplyDeleteAmy I agree with you as well. Since we do have the technology that we do have we should be teaching children how to sift through all of the information on the internet to use it to their benefit.
Kevin, you asked how I feel reading improves communication. It is based on more of what I have read on the subject to be honest with you. I do have to say that if all you do is read all day and have no time for anyone, then it definitely does the opposite. I am talking about reading at a moderate level.What I read was that it not only helps improve your ability to express ideas, but it also helps expand your vocabulary. These both kind of go together if you think about it. If you have a good vocabulary and want to get an idea across, you can communicate that idea to someone else in a manner they will understand.
Paulette, I do believe that reading does require your mind to work. That's probably why when I do have time to read, I don't want to do it! There are many times I have read and thought, what does that word mean? What do they mean by that? Reading does help you ask questions and in turn expands the mind.
Mary,If you truly find an author that you enjoy, it may not be as much work. I have some authors that write in a light-comical sort of way. This is when it can be reading for pleasure. Now, give me a self-help book, newspaper, textbook, not for pleasure that's for sure. I do like magazines on scrapbooking or other things I enjoy. It is still reading, but really fun!! Just wanted to encourage you that reading can be fun, but you have to find what is fun and relaxing for you.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary. I enjoyed your post. There are two ways I think our culture is becoming zombified, if that can be a word: 1) we are watching more commercial TV and advertising, neither of which presents reality or demands much critical thinking, and 2) in reading fewer stories that give an inside depiction of people's lives, we are losing the opportunity to learn sympathy by seeing through the eyes of others who may be very different from ourselves. I think both of these problems affect communication.
ReplyDeleteThis is not to say electronic media are bad. Taking any medium to excess is probably bad. And, I do find it possible to build connections through electronic media. Working with distance students has been an important lesson for me, as I got into teaching because I enjoyed classroom dialogue. When I began teaching online, I was surprised to find that I had a sense of class personalities and an emotional connection to students and their ideas very similar to the experience of in-person teaching. When I finally meet some of my distance students at graduation, it's like meeting old friends. I think social media have similar capacity for enhancing relationships.
On the other hand, there are limitations. Related to Jennifer's post regarding online learning for young kids, the owners of Baby Einstein videos actually had to refund customers' money because research demonstrated that not only were "educational" videos not educational, but they were damaging to young children's learning. Here is a NYT article on the lawsuit: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/education/24baby.html
For older kids, visual literacy is very important. They need to know how to make meaning from images and moving images. The pitfall often is that the meaning-making that does happen is unexamined. We need to make some of the viewing that happens unconsciously more conscious by talking about it and thinking critically about the messages we absorb. Nancy
Hi Mary,
ReplyDeleteI think all of your questions are worthy of the time you put into researching them. I think that even if authors make their novels "easier and faster to read for the audience" aren't we doing the public an injustice? If we "dumb down" all novels isn't that a greater problem? I don't think we need to lower the standards for reading materials, but higher the standards we have for ourselves. Others may think they don't have time to read, but people would be really surprised to know how much time they waste participating in other activities. Literacy is becoming an issue, but I don't see lowering novel standards to be the correct solution. I'm glad you looked into this, because it's very thought-provoking.
-Sara