Nice article in the NYTimes (Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?) about today’s generation and how much of their reading happens online (as opposed to reading books). I have seen a change in my reading over time as well.

Most of my reading today happens online, though I do manage to get through quite a few books every month (mostly fiction). I read in fits and starts (finding time here and there in the nooks and crevices of my life). It is not surprising, therefore, that I find it harder and harder to read extended novels. Recently I have started moving to short-story collections, which require a much shorter investment of time per sitting.

What this article misses in some way is a broader discussion of the changing nature of literacy, particularly media literacy. YouTube and Flickr are changing the kinds of texts our kids interact with (and more importantly create) and these new tools bring a whole new dimension into literacy, moving it beyond mere text (which is what this article primarily focuses on).