Where Have All The Readers Gone?

     It doesn’t take a Cultural Anthropologist to figure out why readers are dropping like swatted flies. How many hours  a week do people spend binge watching TV shows or playing Candy-crush? Kids won’t, or can’t, peel their eyes away from their smart phones. Teens insist on sharing every boring moment of their lives on Snap-chat and Instagram. And millions of us are addicted to funny animal videos on youtube or reality shows about billionaire families, crazy stage moms, and plastic surgeries gone wrong. Hey, I’m not criticizing – I’ve watched my share of “Shame your dog” videos and Russian car crashes. Bottom line:  bookworms are in rapid decline, and the situation is critical. 

In an effort to combat the problem known as READ (Readers Endangered and Disappearing – yes, I just made that up), I am encouraging everyone everywhere to read more. Be forewarned, if you never or rarely read you might want to start slowly. It can shock the system if your brain receives too much intelligent information and pleasant stimuli all at once. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself lounging on the couch into the wee hours of the night, skipping drinks after work, packing a sack lunch and taking it to the park, or even falling asleep with an open book on your lap. Imagine that! Being so engrossed in a book that you can’t wait to get back to it. Enjoying it so much you’d rather read than party or watch TV or shoe shop online.
Finally, a few of the side benefits:
Reading is good for you! It builds memory muscles and keeps the brain young. And it reduces stress by lowering stress hormones.
Reading makes you smarter! It helps us expand our vocabularies, gain knowledge, and increase our Emotional IQ’s.
Reading makes you richer! First and foremost, readers tend to be more successful. And the more time you spend reading the less time you’ll be watching infomercials! Read more – spend less.

Remember: “A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t.” Mark Twain