By Larissa Moon
“Seinfeld,” “SportsCenter” and “Friends” seem to be more popular with adults than old-fashioned reading according to survey results released by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Results from “The Survey of Public Participation in the Arts,” performed by the Census Bureau in 2002, show that less than 50 percent of Americans over 18 are reading literature. Literature is defined in the survey as plays, poetry, novels or short stories.
“This report documents a national crisis,” said Dana Giola, NEA Chairman in a news conference at the New York Public Library. “To lose advanced literacy impoverishes both cultural and civic life.”
In essence, reading, other than for work or school, has dropped 10 percentage points from 56.9 percent in 1992, to 46.3 percent in 2002. This drop in literary reading is similar through all demographic groups but is most marked in Hispanic Americans. Also, adults in the age group 18-24 recorded a decline 55 percent greater than the total adult population”s decline.
“This is probably pretty normal,” said John Christensen, who is over popular fiction in the Harold B. Lee Library. “Nothing to get excited about.”
Kevin Starr, professor of history at the University of California also saw no problem. If close to 50 percent of Americans are reading literature, “that”s not bad, actually.”
The number of adult readers has been steadily declining for some time, so the fact that half of the population is still reading may be considered good news. However the numbers have been steadily declining and may become worse in the future.
The study also showed that more women are reading than men. Only 37.6 percent of men read literature compared to 55.1 percent of women.
The effects of reading also has an effect on social lives. Literature readers watch an average of 2.7 hours of TV while those who do not read watch 3.1 hours. TV and other forms of electronic media are taking time from readers, which is understandable considering the amount of media out there. In their spare time, readers are more likely to do volunteer work, go to art museums, performing arts events and even ballgames. But it seems more people are gathered around the television.
“As Americans lose this capability [active literacy], our nation becomes less informed, active and independent minded,” said Giola. “These are not qualities that a free innovative, or productive society can afford to lose.”
It has been known for some time by librarians and professors that literature reading is declining and can be associated with education and income. Of adults with a grade school education, only 14 percent of them read literature in the past year compared to adults with a graduate school education and a reading rate of 74 percent. Also only one-third of the lowest income group, families under $10,000, read literature, compared to 61 percent of families in the highest income group of $75,000.
However in today”s society it is easier to get through life without “high-brow” literature. With the internet at people”s fingertips, and other forms of media easily accessible, people can stay informed without necessarily reading much. In fact, Christensen has seen a rise in popular fiction reading.
“Fiction is quite heavily circulated,” he said. In the 15 months he has been over fiction, he has replaced books with more popular titles and seen reading grow. In reference to the statistics he said, “Not a problem.”
