Media Alert!
November 2024
BLOG #60
Sue Summers
MediaSavvyKids.org
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:2 (The Message)
“Why Read?”
Reading is a portal to empowerment; a doorway to different lives, different times, different places, and different thoughts. And along the way, really good things happen to your brain and your personhood. Do you think interest in reading is threatened by so many other leisure time activities that vie for our time?
“In 2023, adults in the United States spent more time reading on weekends than weekdays, according to recent data. The average time spent reading in the U.S. amounted to 0.28 hours (almost 17 minutes) on weekends and holidays, while daily time spent reading on weekdays in 2023 dropped back to pre-pandemic levels at a quarter of an hour.” (www.statista.com/statistics/622525/time-reading-us)
But why read?
“Reading is not limited to decoding words; it also involves critical thinking, analyzing ideas, and inferring information. It is a gateway to knowledge, imagination, and personal growth. In essence, reading is the process of absorbing and interpreting written information, which serves as a bridge to acquiring knowledge, exploring new worlds, and enhancing one’s cognitive abilities.” (https://missionexams.com/why-reading-is-important-in-our-life)
Libraries are busier than ever, but they have had to restructure their function in our current culture. Books are available, of course, but so are DVDs, CDs, ebooks, audible books, story times, computer classes, toys, tax forms, ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, and access to free digital videos, music, books, and comics. Some libraries even allow patrons to check out technology, such as 3D printers!
Reading stories aloud to children used to be the norm… now TV and tablets reign at bedtime. But why should families read aloud together? Consider these benefits:
• creates bonding time
• provides topics for discussion
• reinforces the concept of reading as an important activity
• expands vocabulary
• engages child(ren) in learning
• gives options for leisure time
• teaches how to live vicariously through books
• ensures future success in school
• stimulates new ideas
In addition, reading is formative to the concept of cultural literacy. Literature and historical stories have become less popular forms of entertainment. Therefore, specific references to history, novels, and poetry that were once well-recognized by most in our culture, are lost on the majority of younger folks. Here are a few examples of once well-known stories or phrases:
• “The Emperor’s New Clothes”
• Aesop’s Fables
• “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
• “Jack and the Beanstalk”
• “Brave New World”
• Pearl Harbor
• “To Kill a Mockingbird”
• The Crash of 1929
• “A Tale of Two Cities”
• “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”
• Kitty Hawk
• Humpty Dumpty
When any of these (or thousands of other examples) are referred to, there may be blank stares from the audience. A wonderful book entitled “Cultural Literacy” by E. D. Hirsch, captures the profound need for the introduction to essential names, phrases, dates, and concepts that have been part of our culture, but are now losing meaning, often due to the lack of interest in reading. The loss of Biblical literacy is also a casualty of this decline in cultural literacy. Goggle’s AI overview states “Biblical literacy has been declining in the United States for a long time, and the trend has worsened in recent years.”
Undeniably, reading the Bible is the powerful connection we have to our Creator. There are numerous new ways to grasp God’s Word, including apps (applications for cell phones and tablets), illustrated children’s books, audio versions, and Bible revisions, such as “The Story” which is an abridged, chronological Bible that reads like a novel. But even with the prevalence of these alternative presentations, “a recent Lifeway Research survey revealed Americans do not prioritize reading their Bible, saying they ‘don’t have time.’ Only 11% of those surveyed said they’ve read all of the Bible once, while 30% said they’ve only read a few passages or stories.” (https://www.logos.com/grow/biblical-literacy)
“How do young Christians stop being leaves blown around by cultural and theological winds and opinions? Answer: ‘the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God’ – knowledge that they experience not as the opinion of man, but as the word of God. That’s found in one place: the Scriptures.” (www.desiringgod.org/interviews/ten-reasons-to-read-the-bible-every-day)
As Dr. Seuss wrote,
“The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
The love of reading is more often caught than taught. If children and teens grow up in a home where the adults are frequently reading, they recognize the importance of reading. Many parents stop reading aloud to children once they begin to read independently. That’s a mistake. Children – well, all of us – enjoy being read to, if the right book or poem or article is selected for the right audience. Discuss the need for and importance of reading with your teens with these discussion starters:
• Ask, “If the electricity went out, how would you spend your leisure time?’ Discuss lots of possibilities, including reading.
• As an adult, share the books you have recently read and how reading expands your world.
• Share, “Reading is 300% better at reducing stress than walking, and 700% better than playing video games.” (www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/book-and-reading-statistics) Discuss the stress they have in their lives and how they might change the way they manage that stress.
• Ask, “What’s your favorite book? Why is it your favorite?” Share your favorite books, too.
• Ask, “Do you go to the school library? What do you do there? Is there any instruction or is the library merely for book check-out?” Discuss the need for libraries, both school libraries and public libraries.
• Ask, “Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? Why?”
• Discuss some reasons why they might think reading in America has become less popular as a pastime.
• Share, “Teenagers from book-loving homes had 42%better vocabulary grades than those who didn’t.” (www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/book-and-reading-statistics) Ask, “How could having a better vocabulary be helpful in their future?”
• Share, “The Bible is the world’s best-selling book and more than 5 billion copies have been sold.” Ask, “Even with the decline in reading, why do you think it continues to be so popular?”
• Discuss the purpose and importance of reading God’s Word. Suggest that this would be good to do together to allow for discussion. Ask for their thoughts about this.
Note: Share this blog with your church’s youth pastor as a lesson for youth group gatherings.
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Sue Summers is a Christian media analyst, teacher, author, and speaker.
She is the Director of Media Alert!
Contact Info:
Blogs: MediaSavvyKids.org
Website: http://www.MediaAlert.org
Email: Sue@MediaAlert.org
#MediaSavvyKids, #ChristianParenting, #ChurchAndCulture, #YouthPastors, #YouthGroupCurriculum, #HelpForChristianParents, #TeensAndCulture, #AChangingCulture, #CriticalThinkingAndTeens, #IAmNotDefinedByTheCulture, #WhyRead?, #ReadingAndSuccessInLife, #TheImportanceOfReadingGod’sWord
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© Sue Summers 2024
Media Alert! 