Was Bradberry right?

Bradbury was partially right. He saw the future and the dumbing down of people's ability to think in a critical manner. It probably has taken longer than he realized. The generation starting with 1980 is not reading like older generations. I have read stories on the internet and they didn't have video. The comments were negative about this. People don't want to read when you can have it given to you without work via video.


Since 1983, more than 10 million Americans reached the 12th grade without having learned to read at a basic level. In the same period, more than 6 million Americans dropped out of high school altogether.
Reference
Education Statistics Reference Information
A Nation Still at Risk, U.S. Department of Education, 1999

What is going to happen when they have kids you think that they will be an example of reading and getting them into newspapers and books? I don't think so.

More than 20 percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level - far below the level needed to earn a living wage.
Reference
Literacy Statistics Reference Information
National Institute for Literacy, Fast Facts on Literacy, 2001


50 percent of American adults are unable to read an eighth grade level book.
Reference
Reading Statistics Reference Information
Jonathan Kozol, Illiterate America

That is roughly 100 million adults. I believe that based on these figures within ten years books printed will not be in the majority. Kindle and Ipad will be the books of the future both in private and public.


When the State of Arizona projects how many prison beds it will need, it factors in the number of kids who read well in fourth grade.
Reference
Reading Statistics Reference Information
Arizona Republic (9-15-2004) Advertisement by SheaHomes Inc. www.sheahomes.com

It is taking longer then just the internet and tv alone. It includes mp3 as well as future media's that we haven't even known yet.

I don't believe that authorities will ever burn books (except Bible maybe). It will go the way of anything that doesn't make a profit. People don't want to go out and rent so they have videos' sent to them. Before long they won't even want to go all the way out to the mailbox. It will only be in the house on a tv in every room. I have seen the old people that use to read now they sit around and watch tv all day. There will come a day when the population won't care if books are destroyed as what good are they if you can't read them. My daughter (I am not biased of course) reads better then a large amount of adults I have met even those in college. Oh yeah she is only 8.

Based on these figures above and hundreds more I can't post on a small blog. Reading is going away and with it critical thinking. When you watch something and they tell you this is what is going on then it makes it easy to believe without thinking about facts. I don't read like I use to as I don't have time as an adult. I only read about a book a week instead of five a day. I can only hope that as I raise my kids to read and think critically they will pass that down to their kids. Maybe this will help to postpone Bradbury's fears.