The End of the Book Culture??

The Houston Chronicle ran a concerning article this past weekend titled, The End of The Book Culture.  The article is based around an interview with author, Larry McMurtry who was making a public appearance in Houston.  In the article Mr. McMurtry states

"...I don’t see kids reading. I think little kids love to have stories read to them, but when they get to 10 or 11 or 12, they run into this tsunami of technology: iPod, iPhone, Blackberries."

The article goes on to discuss how this lack of reading doesn't bode well for the future of our country.

Cause for Concern

We have 3 kids of our own and with regular interaction with their peers, I've observed how over-the-top many families have gotten as they embrace new technologies. Drive down the streets of any town in the evening and notice all the DVD players running as families drive from place to place. Listen to the kids talk with each other and realize how many of families keep gaming consoles in just about every room of their homes.  Kids are immersed in technology from sunup to sundown.  What I struggle to understand is why parents are encouraging this? What redeeming value does playing Super Smash Brothers or Halo for the 1000th time have?  

Call me old-fashioned, but my wife and I try to make every purchase decision in our household with the good of the family in mind.  We attempt to analyze the long-term implications of each purchase, as it's our job to direct our children towards activities that will help and not hurt them.  Don't others do the same?  Or is it that people are so caught up in what others have and do, that they simply go along with no thought to the implications of their decisions?

The Brain Muscle

I'm only a history major and not a doctor, but I understand the brain to be a muscle like any other muscle in the body.  The more work and resistance that it gets, the stronger it becomes. The brain does no real work when it's exposed to images from the TV or a video game.  In fact, it's actually being weakened by having all it's work done for it as no real imagination or thought is required.  Reading a book strengthens this muscle as it forces the brain to work in many ways.

Control Your Household

It's extremely important that parents control the exposure of their children to all this technology and encourage reading as well.  In our household, we have daily 30 minute limits for video game and internet use and we've even cut off the cable completely so that TV (except for DVD's) is no longer an option for any of us.  While curbing technology use, we must encourage reading and set aside time for this.  Encourage reading of literature and classics.  Show your children how much pleasure can be gotten from sitting down with a good book.  With the younger kids, take time to read to them every day.  Reading to our 3 kids is one of my wife's favorite times of our schedule each day!

Set The Right Example

Of course, your kids will follow your lead.  What you do is far more important than what you say.  Are you an avid reader?  Do they see you reading to teach yourself something new each and every day?  Are you reading to improve yourself or your current situation in life?  Reading is imperative for lifelong success in today's ever-changing society.  As a parent, you show the way!

As a parent, I refuse to participate in this "end of the book culture" that Mr. McMurtry discusses.  How about you?

Stumble It!

Comments

[C. Dwayne Shafer]

Great note on the Book Culture. I haven't had a TV since I was 13 (35 yrs), but I do have 12,000 books and a few degrees. Who are the Mario Brothers? Do they deliver Pizza??
C.D.S., Stephenville, Texas