state of the nation 2 washington post

Librarians er..media and information specialists are having a tough time getting the kids hooked on books.
"Students are still checking out the standard research fare -- the Thomas Jefferson biography, the volume of literary criticism on Jane Austen -- but few read it. The library checks the books back in a day later, after the students have extracted the information vitals -- usually an excerpt or two to satisfy the requirement that a certain number of works be cited in their papers."
But the money graf is here.
"I recently spoke with a junior who was stressed about her decreasing ability to focus on anything for longer than two minutes or so. I tried to inspire her by talking about the importance of reading as a way to train the brain. I told her that a good reader develops the same powers of concentration that an athlete or a Buddhist would employ in sport or meditation. "A lot out there is conspiring to distract you," I said.
She rolled her eyes. "That's your opinion about books. It doesn't make it true." To her, the idea that reading might benefit the mind was, well, lame."
Ah Jeebus, if you aren't reading books honey, and you find you can't focus on anything for longer than.......... two minutes, well.......... then..... maybe...ah hell, what was I talking about?

Posted by Dave