There are more “answers” on Jeopardy! that can be solved with information from the encyclopedia than from novels, a major incentive to read them. (I was in the audience of a Jeopardy! show, which was fun, and one of my friends was an undefeated champion! “Thank you, Don Pardo!”)

The ease of obtaining information from the internet has drawn kids away from previously standard reference books, but it gives us more depth of information. Still, greater access to information leads to more knowledge, even if it’s on-line.

Honestly, I never was into the “feelings” books, which must come as a great surprise.

I suspect modern technology has had a huge impact on reading:

-Rapid access to information means thinking becomes more interactive and perhaps less contemplative – if you start thinking on a topic and have a question, an answer of some sort is waiting right online

-Modern kids get immersion training in rapid context switching – video games, frequent texting, etc. This literally rewires the brain to favor those activities (one reason the Army loves recruits who are good at video games).

-Telephones and other communications produce a lot more interruptions.

-There are plenty of things to compete with books for one’s fantasy time… such as TV or video games.