According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report (Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds), kids between the ages of eight and eighteen are spending an average of 7.6 hours PER DAY absorbed with media entertainment related activities (TV, movies, video games, etc.). And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), the report notes that “they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.” On the other hand, reading among our grandchildren has been on the decline. Some might ask, “So what? Does it really matter?” Yes, it does matter because words and the reading of words have an amazing impact upon a child’s brain. For example, reading helps a child organize and evaluate information. Studies indicate that a child who is not read to or spoken to frequently will not do well in math and science. Reading facilitates the ability of a person to think logically and deeply. What our new media technologies do is eliminate the space needed to think and contemplate something. Everything is now at high speed with endless chains of sound bytes and information bits. As one person put it, “you’re never going to the deep places of communication; you’re swimming on the surface of ideas.”

Reading, on the other hand, cultivates imagination and evaluation. Commenting on her book, Read for the Heart: Whole Books for Wholehearted Families, Sarah Clarkson suggests that “the experience of reading a book is a slower process [than media technology] because you’re holding the book in your hand and going page by page. It give you more time to integrate ideas into processes and the way you think, whereas reading on the Internet is more transitory.”

My twelve-year old grandson loves to sit with me and read a book together. Of course, he always wants me to do the reading out loud. He also loves the stories from the Bible. As I read his mind is fully engaged and he frequently interrupts me with observations and questions. Reading that accurately portrays what is true about the world and life stimulates lots of opportunities for dialogue. It is not uncommon for us to stop in the middle of a chapter and talk about why a character in the story did what they did, or what the author was trying to communicate. The fast-paced world of entertainment technology allows little opportunity to stop and process anything.

Instead of buying tech toys for gifts for your grandkids when there is a birthday or at Christmas, why not invest in some good books to read together? Sarah Clarkson’s book is a great resource for discovering author’s and books worth reading. Check out  my recommended reading list on the web site as well.