Reply #50: Young Americans do not read books.

[Breeze54]

American Youth TV Habits Lower Job Prospects, Community Service

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ayAUf0k9avhI&refer=us

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Americans aged 15 to 24 on average spend two hours a day watching TV and only seven minutes on leisure reading...

It also found that the better a person's reading skills, the more likely that person voted in the 2000 election. The Education Department study showed 84 percent of proficient readers voted, compared with 62 percent of those with basic skills and 53 percent of those with poor skills.

Transforming Lives

``Reading books transforms people's lives,'' Gioia said. ``Reading seems to awaken something in individuals. America cannot afford to lose the benefits of universal literacy.''

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Reading helps a person infer meanings in dialogue. American youth lack those skills.

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Reading is paying attention

http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Stories/Sound-Off/Write-a-Column/Story~431921.aspx

Contributed by: James LaRue on 2/21/2008

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Here's the kicker: "According to a 2006 survey by National Geographic-Roper, nearly half of Americans between ages 18 and 24 do not think it necessary to know the location of other countries in which important news is being made. More than a third consider it 'not at all important' to know a foreign language, and only 14 percent consider it 'very important.'"

Jacoby's point is that Americans barely have any attention span left. She blames video.