Since When?

It's a growing trend and something that has been worrying me for some time now. I'm not talking about Global Warming (though that's obviously a big deal). No, I mean the steady decline in reading. People just don't seem to read anymore. I've run into a disturbingly high number of people who say "Oh, I don't read" when I mention some book or a movie adaptation from a book. It's remarkably tragic really, but it got me thinking as I looked over my bookshelf; I don't think I could count all of the books I've read in the past year (reading I can do, counting...not so much, haha!). I don't read to be better than anyone or smarter than anyone...I read because I love it.

I guess it's thanks to Mum. Some of it must be genetic, but it's more than that. Mum always made sure we had something to read. I remember her once telling me that she would always make an allowance for books. I have such fantastic memories of new books from the Scholastic Book Club summer reading packages and having new books for her to read to us every summer in the camper! Those are some of the best memories from my childhood and they just seem to have bled into my adulthood.

The love of reading is so strong that I actually find myself feeling despondent when I don't have a new intriguing book sitting on my nightstand waiting for me.

So what happened to everyone else? I have a handful of friends who love to read too (and we give books to each other as gifts on a regular basis), but that's about it. I've been told by a number of people that they don't have time to read, which is totally an excuse. If a book is good enough and really grabs you, there is always time to read.

Is reading just not cool anymore? Or is the emergence of the Wii and the dominance of computers to blame? Or do parents just not bother with the encouragement anymore?

Just some observations.