An article from the July 19th issue of Newsweek talks about recent studies that indicate young adults (between 18 and 34) are now reading less than any other group. Even worse, this used to be the group that read the most.
Even worse, instead of reading, this group has become largely "passive consumers of electronic entertainment." Video games, entertainment Web sites, and TV are taking the place of exercising our brains.
The study also notes that those that do read are also more likely to "active and engaged towards information and society." They are also more likely to "do volunteer work or attend plays or ball games."
So the young people that will have to take over the reins of society in the next ten to twenty years are not reading, are less involved in community activities, and are glued to some kind of electronic entertainment widget (TV, computer, picturephone, iPod, etc). It's not a pretty thought.
What kind of youth leadership training program do you have in your community? Do you have a young adult book club that gets young people out of the house and off the 'net to talk about good and great books? How is your community preparing the leaders of the future?