Call us old and cranky, but we find it highly disturbing that today's youth are more likely to own a mobile phone than a good novel, or so says a new study by the National Literacy Trust. According to the study, nearly nine in 10 pupils own a cell phone, compared to fewer than three-quarters who have their own books in the home. Should be concerned?
The answer is yes. The National Literacy Trust set out to find a link a between regular access to books outside of school and high test scores, and what they found is that about 80 percent of children with above average reading ability skills owned their own books.
"Our research illustrates the clear link with literacy resources at home and a child’s reading ability, as well the vital importance of family encouragement," said Jonathan Douglas, National Literacy Trust director. "By ensuring children have access to reading materials in the home and by encouraging children to love reading, families can help them to do well at school and to enjoy opportunities throughout their life."
No small study, the trust pinged over 17,000 school children between the ages of 7 and 16. Of them, 85.5 percent said they own a mobile phone, while 72.6 percent said they own their own books.
iSuppli, the market research firm who seems to know a little bit about everything, has been studying the gray-market cell phone business. The bad news? Business is booming. But on the bright side, a recent crackdown by China officials was more than just a little bit effective.
