The Dumbest Generation

I recently finished reading The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30). I enjoyed reading this book. Basically, the premise is that the rising generation is constantly "tuned in" either to television, texting, instant messaging, blogging, social networking, you tube, ipods, and every other digital gadget and therefore is pulling them away from reading and being informed about current and past events. As a result, the generation Y is actually the least educated in liberal arts, politics, current affairs, vocabulary, literature, and history despite the fact that knowledge and information is nearly ubiquitous. Many children, teenagers and even adults rarely 'unplug' long enough to mediate and have quiet moments to focus on a single activity like reading.
It's so interesting to me that science and research a lot of times confirms what church leaders have been saying for years and, in some cases, centuries and millenia. We already know the benefits that come from meditation, prayer, and quiet study. This book just reaffirmed what I had already known but it also revived the desire I have for my children to learn to love reading, the beauty of the arts, and the importance of history. My dream is to one day have a library in my home, a room where every wall is covered with books and several comfy LaZ boys in the middle with maybe a desk and some beanbags. I guess it would have to be a pretty big room. I do love me a good book.