Warning
As Children Shun Books In Favor Of Facebook
Schoolchildren are significantly more likely to be
exposed to mobile phones and computers in the home
than novels, according to researchers. They also found
that reading frequency declined sharply with age, with
14 to 16 year–olds being more than 10 times as
likely to avoid books altogether as those in primary
education. The findings, in a study by the National
Literacy Trust, follow the publication of an
international league table last year that showed
reading standards among children in Britain had
slipped from 17th to 25th in the world. Jonathan
Douglas, the trust's director, warned that people who
failed to read books at a young age often suffered
serious literacy problems in adulthood. "We are
worried that they will grow up to be the one in six
adults who struggle with literacy to the extent that
they read to the level expected of an 11 year–old or
below," he said.