The Department of Education has released a study that shows that only 25 percent of college-educated Americans can read at a proficient level. The study probed how well we read for comprehension of things like books and newspapers as well as maps.
No matter how you slice it, only a quarter of college graduates having the ability to read well is appalling. There is no doubt that today it is easier to get by reading less, but that does not excuse people from wasting an ability many people worldwide are not so lucky to have to throw around.
We may not notice illiteracy here at AU where everyone has either a Washington Post, New York Times,or (hopefully) an Eagle on tucked away in their messenger bags at all times. Unfortunately the country on the whole is not like our school or others like it in this way. At colleges where social matters such as sports or partying take precedence, a study like this would probably not surprise you.
Our generation is definately reading books less and less frequently. The Internet still requires literacy, but its content is packaged for quick bites that will catch readers as they surf through pages.
Hopefully we all will continue to stay informed, and encourage others to do the same
