3 ms·

It's interesting to contrast with the other media narrative which is "Zoomers can't read": https://old.reddit.com/r/Millennials/comments/1am3xq2/literacy_rates

It's interesting to contrast with the other media narrative which is "Zoomers can't read": https://old.reddit.com/r/Millennials/comments/1am3xq2/literacy_rates_in_the_us_are_fucked_keeping_your/ https://old.reddit.com/r/Millennials/comments/1am3xq2/litera... The stats actually support the latter narrative more - literacy rates are dropping in the U.S. [1], and performance on standardized reading tests has been going down, even in affluent districts [2]. I'm glad that some Gen Z members enjoy reading more, but this appears to be more anecdotal than a general trend. [1] https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=69 https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=69 [2] https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/10/metro/reading-skills-top-ranked-ma-schools/ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/10/metro/reading-skills-...

animanoir 3y ago
Internet (mainstream) news are literally polar opposites now. I'm starting to get my news from Academia.edu and scientific papers.
krunck 3y ago
There is a sort of functional illiteracy that youth have developed: a lack of focus when looking at printed text, a need for everything to be video, etc. I was lamenting to my manager that graduate students don't read the documentation I write on using our research servers in our department. She said "videos would help, they don't like to read". Nope. I refuse. If you can't discipline your mind to extract meaning from text then you are functionally illiterate. Seek help.
dtdynasty 3y ago
I think there is a growing education divide between those who are able to resist the distractions and utilize the vast knowledge of the internet versus those who cannot [1]. The internet tends to enhance good and bad qualities from my own personal experience and these zoomer anecdotes may still point to something the stats don't show. [1] no judgement as a lot of it is genetic + childhood environment
Symbiote 3y ago
The statistics in the article are from Britain. I can't find literacy trends for Britain, but reading trends are indeed down [1]. [1] https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2023/ https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-repo... (FSM = free school meals, eligibility for that is a basic measure of poverty.)

animanoir 3y ago

Internet (mainstream) news are literally polar opposites now. I'm starting to get my news from Academia.edu and scientific papers.

krunck 3y ago

There is a sort of functional illiteracy that youth have developed: a lack of focus when looking at printed text, a need for everything to be video, etc. I was lamenting to my manager that graduate students don't read the documentation I write on using our research servers in our department. She said "videos would help, they don't like to read". Nope. I refuse. If you can't discipline your mind to extract meaning from text then you are functionally illiterate. Seek help.

dtdynasty 3y ago

I think there is a growing education divide between those who are able to resist the distractions and utilize the vast knowledge of the internet versus those who cannot [1]. The internet tends to enhance good and bad qualities from my own personal experience and these zoomer anecdotes may still point to something the stats don't show. [1] no judgement as a lot of it is genetic + childhood environment

Symbiote 3y ago

The statistics in the article are from Britain. I can't find literacy trends for Britain, but reading trends are indeed down [1]. [1] https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2023/ https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-repo... (FSM = free school meals, eligibility for that is a basic measure of poverty.)