"Online, R U really reading?"

The New York Times article “Online, R U really reading?” further brings up the debate we have been discussing in class for the past few weeks. It is very interesting to understand the viewpoints of so many different people on this topic of the internet vs. newspaper print reading.

Even though Nadia’s mother would prefer that her daughter would read books and not spend all her time in front of the computer, she at least appreciates that Nadia still “reads something anymore.” However, the debate has two sides- some believe that the rapid development and growth of technology and the internet is actually the cause for the illiteracy of our youth. They say that the speed of the internet and the quick change in scene by just the click of a button is also a leading factor in the high numbers of children with ADD and low attention spans in this growing generation. On the contrary, some other opinions believe that not only is the internet harmful and damaging to our youth’s literacy but has even sprouted more reading and writing. Many children, like Nadia, would spend those 6 free hours a day doing other activities, such as watching T.V., if it were not for the excitement of the internet grabbing her interest.

Online reading and writing has even proven to be helpful for children with dyslexia and other reading disabilities. “The internet helps them feel comfortable with a new kind of reading.”

Ms. Konyk says that she would much rather that Nadia would read books because “reading opens up doors to places that you probably will never get to visit in your lifetime, to cultures, to worlds, to people.” However, I personally feel that this is not true. The internet more than any other invention to date can make a person from one side of the world feel like they are living the culture and life of someone on the opposite side of the world. With the vast pictures and videos available on the web and on youtube, from the comfort of my own computer chair in my bedroom, I can take a journey into the wild life safari of Africa or even into a cultural Indian wedding. I think that the internet may sometimes even give a better depiction of cultures, the world, and different people than reading any book can.


***It is interesting to note that many of the past articles we have read about reading on the Internet talk about how people like to read just the short and simple and get too bored when it comes to reading long passages- but almost all of those articles are in fact very long themselves. They just use tricks, such as with this Online New York Times article, of splitting one article into 4 pages, so you only see in front of your computer screen a short passage to be read at once.


Questions:
1.How are children's writing skills improving because of the internet if they are accostoming themselves to shorter words and incorrect spelling?
2.Why cant there be a middle path? A way to train kids to do 2 hours of reading in actual print books and 2 hours of online reading? Would that give our youth the benefits of both sides?