Found this Article, you can read the whole of it here, which reports about a study into the reading habits of Americans. The results are pretty shocking but not all that surprising 
Bascially, Americans are reading less and less. Although, this study was undertaken in the U.S, I am sure that it is very applicable in any other western country. I am sure if you conducted the same survey in the U.K or in France you would probably get a very similar result.
From the article:
"Among its findings are that fewer than half of Americans over 18 now read novels, short stories, plays or poetry; and that the pace at which the nation is losing readers, especially young readers, is quickening. In addition, it finds that the downward trend holds in virtually all demographic areas."
"The Census Bureau study upon which the survey was based measured the number of adult Americans who attended live performances of theater, music, dance and other arts; visited museums; watched broadcasts of arts programs; or read literature in the past year. The survey sample makes it one of the largest studies ever conducted on the subject of arts participation, and the data were compared with similar studies from 1982 and 1992.
At a loss for reading
In the literature segment, respondents were asked whether they had, during the previous 12 months, without the impetus of a school or work assignment, read any novels, short stories, poems or plays in their leisure time.
Their answers show that just over half -- 56.6 percent -- read a book of any kind in the previous year, down from 60.9 percent a decade earlier. Readers of at least a book of literature fell even more precipitously, to 46.7 percent of the adult population, down from 54 percent in 1992 and 56.9 percent in 1982, which means that in the past decade the erosion accelerated significantly.
The literary reading public lost 5 percent of its girth between 1982 and 1992; another 14 percent dropped away in the following decade. And though the number of readers of literature is about the same now as it was in 1982 -- about 96 million people -- the American population as a whole has increased by almost 40 million.
The survey found that men (37.6 percent) were doing less literary reading than women (55.1 percent); that Hispanics (26.5 percent) were doing less than African-Americans (37.1 percent) and whites (51.4 percent); but that all categories were declining. The steepest declines of any demographic group are among the youngest adults. In 1982, 59.8 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds read literature; by 2002 that figure had dropped to 42.8 percent.."
So, what do you all think? What is the reason for this? I think, peronally, that it's indicative of a much larger problem. Can you hear the death toll of western civalization? I heard it when they had a hit with Reality T.V!
People don't read any longer, but they don't do anything else any longer either. People don't take the time to cook. They are satisfied with pre-made crap. People don't listen to music any more unless its easy pop. People don't go look at art and so on and so on. I guess the anwsers are similar to the ones put forth in the "why does crap float to the top" thread.
Anyway, discuss
Bascially, Americans are reading less and less. Although, this study was undertaken in the U.S, I am sure that it is very applicable in any other western country. I am sure if you conducted the same survey in the U.K or in France you would probably get a very similar result.
From the article:
"Among its findings are that fewer than half of Americans over 18 now read novels, short stories, plays or poetry; and that the pace at which the nation is losing readers, especially young readers, is quickening. In addition, it finds that the downward trend holds in virtually all demographic areas."
"The Census Bureau study upon which the survey was based measured the number of adult Americans who attended live performances of theater, music, dance and other arts; visited museums; watched broadcasts of arts programs; or read literature in the past year. The survey sample makes it one of the largest studies ever conducted on the subject of arts participation, and the data were compared with similar studies from 1982 and 1992.
At a loss for reading
In the literature segment, respondents were asked whether they had, during the previous 12 months, without the impetus of a school or work assignment, read any novels, short stories, poems or plays in their leisure time.
Their answers show that just over half -- 56.6 percent -- read a book of any kind in the previous year, down from 60.9 percent a decade earlier. Readers of at least a book of literature fell even more precipitously, to 46.7 percent of the adult population, down from 54 percent in 1992 and 56.9 percent in 1982, which means that in the past decade the erosion accelerated significantly.
The literary reading public lost 5 percent of its girth between 1982 and 1992; another 14 percent dropped away in the following decade. And though the number of readers of literature is about the same now as it was in 1982 -- about 96 million people -- the American population as a whole has increased by almost 40 million.
The survey found that men (37.6 percent) were doing less literary reading than women (55.1 percent); that Hispanics (26.5 percent) were doing less than African-Americans (37.1 percent) and whites (51.4 percent); but that all categories were declining. The steepest declines of any demographic group are among the youngest adults. In 1982, 59.8 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds read literature; by 2002 that figure had dropped to 42.8 percent.."
So, what do you all think? What is the reason for this? I think, peronally, that it's indicative of a much larger problem. Can you hear the death toll of western civalization? I heard it when they had a hit with Reality T.V!
People don't read any longer, but they don't do anything else any longer either. People don't take the time to cook. They are satisfied with pre-made crap. People don't listen to music any more unless its easy pop. People don't go look at art and so on and so on. I guess the anwsers are similar to the ones put forth in the "why does crap float to the top" thread.
Anyway, discuss
