Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less

A) Most of us spend much more time with digital media than we did a decade ago. But today’s teens have grown up with smartphones. Compared with teens a couple of decades ago, the way they interact with traditional media like books and movies is fundamentally different.

B) Analysis of surveys of over one million teens in the United States collected since 1976 reveals a major shift in how teens are spending their leisure time. Paper books are being ignored, in favor of screens. Digital devices are changing other behaviors, too. More and more, young people choose spending time on their electronic devices over engaging in other activities, regardless of the type. Indeed, by 2016, the average American high school senior said they spent six hours a day writing text messages, on social media, and online during their free time. And that covers just three activities, and if other digital media activities were included, that estimate would no doubt rise.

C) Teens did not always spend that much time with digital media. Online time has doubled since 2006, and social media use has moved from a periodic activity to a daily one in the same period. By 2016, nearly nine out of ten young women in the 12th grade said they visited social media sites every day. Meanwhile, time spent playing video games rose from under an hour a day to an hour and a half on average. One out of ten American 8th grade students in 2016 spent 40 hours a week or more playing video games. Let me emphasize that this is equal to the time most adults spend per week at work.

D) If teens are spending so much time using electronic devices, does that mean they have to give up some other activities? Maybe not. Over the years, many scholars have insisted that time online does not necessarily take away time spent engaging with traditional media or on other activities. Some people, they argue, are just more interested in certain kinds of media and entertainment. Thus, using more of one type of media does not necessarily mean less of the other.

E) That may be true, but that still does not tell us much about what happens across a whole generation of people when time spent on digital media grows. Large surveys conducted over the course of many years tell us that American youth are not going to the cinema nearly as often as they did in the past. While 70 percent of 8th and 10th grade students used to go to the movies once a month or more, now only about half do this. More and more, watching a movie is something teens choose to do on their electronic devices. Why is this a problem? One reason is that going to the cinema is generally a social activity. Now, watching movies is something that most teens do alone. This fits a larger pattern. In another analysis, researchers found that today’s teens go out with their friends much less often than previous generations did.

F) But the trends related to movies are less disturbing compared with the change in how teens spend their time. Research has revealed an enormous decline in reading. In 1980, about 60 percent of senior high school students said they read a book, newspaper or magazine every day that was not assigned for school. By 2016, only 16 percent did. This is a huge drop and it is important to note that this was not merely a decline in reading paper books, newspapers or magazines. The survey allowed for reading materials on a digital device.

G) Indeed, the number of senior high school students who said they had not read any books for pleasure in the last year was one out of three by 2016. That is triple the number from two decades ago. For today’s youth, books, newspapers and magazines have less and less of a presence in their daily lives. Of course, teens are still reading. But they are generally reading short texts. Most of them are not reading long articles or books that explore deep themes and require critical thinking and reflection. Perhaps not accidentally, in 2016 reading scores were the lowest they have ever been since 1972.

H) This might present problems for young people later on. When high school students go on to college, their past and current reading habits will influence their academic performance. Imagine going from reading texts as short as one or two sentences to trying to read entire books written in complex language and containing sophisticated ideas. Reading and comprehending longer books and chapters takes practice, and American teens are no longer getting that practice.

I) So how can this problem be solved? Should parents and teachers take away teens’ smartphones and replace them with paper books? Probably not. Research has shown that smartphones are currently American teens’ main form of social communication. This means that, without a smartphone, teens are likely to feel isolated from their peers. However, that does not mean teens need to use electronic devices as often as they do now. Data connecting excessive digital media time to mental health issues suggests a limit of two hours a day of free time spent with screens, a restriction that will also allow time for other activities—like going to the movies with friends or reading longer, more complicated texts.

J) The latter is especially important. I would argue that of all the changes brought about by the widespread use of digital devices, the huge decline in reading is likely to have the biggest negative impact on today’s teens because reading books and longer articles is one of the best ways to learn critical thinking. It helps people to understand complex issues and to separate fact from fiction. Thus, deep reading is crucial for being a good citizen, a successful college student and a productive employee. If serious reading dies, a lot will go with it.

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   1   Many years’ surveys reveal that young people in America are going to the cinema much less often than they used to.

   2   Survey analysis shows American teens now spend their leisure time on digital devices rather than reading printed books.

   3   The number of senior high schoolers not reading books for pleasure in a year increased three times over 20 years.

   4   Many scholars claim that spending time on electronic devices doesn’t necessarily mean a decrease of time for other activities.

   5   Most people spend much more time interacting with digital media than they did ten years ago.

   6   The author claims that it will be a great loss if we no longer read books and longer articles.

   7   Over a decade or so, American teens’ social media use shifted from an occasional activity to a routine one.

   8   A more disturbing trend in America today is that teens are spending far less time reading than around four decades ago.

   9   Some five years ago, high school seniors in America generally spent more than six hours a day on electronic devices.

   10   It was found that American youngsters today don’t socialize nearly as much as the earlier generations.

36. 多年的调查显示，美国年轻人看电影的频率远低于过去。

解析：E。由going to the cinema much less often可定位至E段第2句：多年来进行的大量调查表明，美国年轻人不像过去那样经常去看电影了。题干中的Many year’s surveys对应原文中的Large surveys conducted over the course of many years和going to the cinema much less often是原文中not going to the cinema nearly as often as they did in the past的同义表达，故E为正确答案。

37. 调查分析显示，如今美国青少年把他们的休闲时间花在电子设备上，而不是阅读纸质书。

解析：B。由spend their leisure time on digital devices rather than reading printed可定位至B段第1-2句：对自1976年以来收集的美国一百多万名青少年的调查分析表明，青少年度过闲暇时光的方式发生了重大变化。纸质书无人问津，取而代之的是屏幕。题干中的spend their leisure time为原词复现，digital devices是screens的同义替换，printed是Paper books的同义表达，故B为正确答案。

38. 一年没有读课外书的高三学生在20年间增加了两倍。

解析：G。由senior high schoolers和three times over 20 years可定位至G段第1-2句：事实上，到2016年，三分之一的高三学生表示他们在过去的一年里没有为了消遣而阅读任何书籍。这一数字是20年前的三倍。题干中的senior high schoolers对应原文中的senior high school students，three times over 20 years对应原文中的triple the number from two decades ago，故G为正确答案。

39. 许多学者声称，在电子设备上花时间并不一定意味着减少其他活动的时间。

解析：D。由scholars和decrease of time for other activities可定位至D段第3句：多年来，许多学者坚持认为，上网时间并不一定会占用花在传统媒体或其他活动上的时间。scholars为原词复现，题干中的doesn’t necessarily mean a decrease of time 对应原文中的does not necessarily take away time，故D为正确答案。

40. 与十年前相比，大多数人花在与数字媒体互动上的时间要多得多。

解析：A。由much more time interacting with digital media和ten years ago可定位至A段第1句：我们大多数人花在数字媒体上的时间比十年前多得多。题干中的much more time with digital media为原词复现，ten years ago是原文中a decade ago的同义替换，故A为正确答案。

41. 作者声称，如果我们不再阅读书籍和长篇文章，这将是一个巨大的损失。

解析：J。由a great loss和read books and longer articles可定位至J段最后1句：如果严肃的阅读消亡了，很多东西也会随之消失。题干中的a great loss对应原文中的a lot will go with it，故J为正确答案。

42. 在十年左右的时间里，美国青少年的社交媒体使用从偶尔活动变成了日常活动。

解析：C。由a decade or so和shifted from an occasional activity to a routine one可定位至C段第2句：自2006年以来，上网时间翻了一番，同时，社交媒体的使用也从定期活动变成了日常活动。题干中的shifted from是原文中moved from的同义替换，an occasional activity to a routine one对应原文中a periodic activity to a daily one，故C为正确答案。

43. 当今美国一个更令人不安的趋势是，青少年花在阅读上的时间比40年前要少得多。

解析：F。由disturbing trend、teens are spending far less time reading和four decades可定位至F段。该段提到青少年分配时间的变化更令人担忧，随后接着指出青少年的阅读量飞速下降，每天阅读课外书的青少年从1980年的60%下降到了2016年的16%。本题是对F段内容的概述。

44. 大约五年前，美国高三学生每天花在电子设备上的时间一般会超过六小时。

解析：B。由five years ago和spent more than six hours a day可定位至B段最后两句：截至2016年，美国高中毕业班学生表示，他们平均每天花6个小时的空闲时间发短信、使用社交媒体和上网。而这仅仅涵盖了三种活动，如果将其他数字媒体活动也包括在内的话，这一估计时长必然会上升。故B为正确答案。

45. 研究发现，如今的美国年轻人不像前几代人那样热衷于社交活动。

解析：E。由don’t socialize nearly as much as the earlier generations可定位至E段最后1句：研究人员发现，如今的青少年与朋友外出的频率比前几代人要低得多。题干中的socialize对应原文中的go out with friends，故E为正确答案。