"Books matter; how kids read them doesn’t."

From Forbes:

There is a cultural narrative about how electronic devices are pulling children away from books. When I meet with other university professors they often tell me that the students don’t read anymore because their eyeballs are glued to their phones. Technophobes think we are raising a generation that doesn’t understand the value of literature.

The polarization of old and new continues. Maybe it is leftover sediment from an anti-screen mindset that was always on the fringes of the golden age of television. It is a trite myth-like story that attempts to cast books as the underdog in battle against thechno-imperialism. Paper is the good guy and Gorilla Glass is the villain.

While there's a lot about this essay that I don't like:

• His dismissive attitude about short form content—magazine, blogs, social media, etc.
• His dismissive attitude about popular fiction vs. "classics"
• His dismissive attitude about STEM-related reading (nonfiction is reading, too, and can be just as thought-provoking and engrossing and mind-bending as fiction, thankyouverymuch)
• I agree that it's extremely important for kids to see role models reading, but it's simplistic to assume that that's all it takes to develop a love of reading
• The general tone, which comes off as privileged, self-aggrandized, and arrogant

...I love that he slaps down the issue of format. 

Comments

[Mark]

The article should have been titled, "You're Not Reading My Book and I am Wicked Mad at You." Sour grapes much?