Why Aren’t Teens Reading Like They Used To? -NPR

Why Aren’t Teens Reading Like They Used To? : NPR.

The results of yet another study on teen reading carried in this story by NPR are not all that surprising (posted May 12, 2014). And the reasons for the decline in teen reading are not surprising. The digital age with its visual stimulation has seriously distracted young people from reading. If it does adults (including me!), it most certainly will distract them.

Harry Potter and The Hunger Games haven’t been big hits for nothing. Lots of teens and adolescents still read quite a lot.

But a roundup of studies, put together by the nonprofit Common Sense Media, shows a clear decline over time. Nearly half of 17-year-olds say they read for pleasure no more than one or two times a year — if that.

That’s way down from a decade ago.

The digital revolution means there are more platforms than ever to read on. And yet, the number of American teens reading for pleasure has dropped dramatically. Researchers are asking if there’s a link.

Jim Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media, is one of them. He’s been studying the impact of technology on children, and he finds the results striking — though not entirely shocking.

Yet there is something parents can do too:

Despite those distractions, Jim Steyer of Common Sense Media says, parents can do a lot to promote reading.

“Kids with parents who read, who buy or take books out of the library for their kids, and who then set time aside in their kids’ daily schedule for reading, tend to read the most,” he says — whether it’s on a book, an e-book or some other gadget.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? And it is. We have to lead our children by example and provide good opportunities for them to read. Telling them to turn off the video games and other devices for 30 minutes a day goes a long way too 🙂 Let’s keep encouraging our teens to read! And they can do much better than Harry Potter and The Hunger Games as well. Help your teen choose good things to read.