The National Endowment for the Arts annual Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, administered every five years since 1982, found that 48.5% of U.S. adults reported reading at least one book in the past year. This was down from 52.7% in 2017 and 54.6% in 2012. This shows that reading is becoming less popular among Americans despite all its benefits. Surprisingly, the most significant losses in reading were seen among those ages 55 and over.
So, if more Americans are not reading books or newspapers, where do they find the information they need?
The answer is social media sites and alt-right broadcast media are filling the gap. These sources focus on the shrill and the hype to attract eyeballs that improve ratings, enabling the sites to charge more for advertising. The more outrageous the lies and conspiracy theories, the more likely the spinning heads will milk the blustering fabrications for all they’re worth.
America needs critical thinking learned through reading. In truth, reading makes us more empathetic and compassionate, and a reading culture and lifestyle enrich us all. Books are a way to connect without telling others what they can and cannot read. Steady book reading leads to sharing interests and ideas with others. Books help us better understand the world and learn about people and our history.
Reading also provides long-term benefits for our brains. Children who read improve their ability to grasp abstract concepts, apply logic, recognize cause and effect, and use good judgment. A children’s book exposes youngsters to 50% more words than from watching a TV show.
The response to this dilemma includes active use of our excellent public libraries. You do not have to purchase a book to read it. You can always join a local public library and borrow a book. If the library does not have the book, they can borrow it from another library for you. If the interlibrary loan process cannot provide you with your book of interest, you can always request your local library to consider purchasing the book to add it to their collection.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.