"Teens Don't Read Books Anymore"

Moyer, Jessica E. 2010. "Teens today Don't Read Books Anymore": A Study of Differences in Interest and Comprehension Based on Reading Modalities: Part 1, Introduction and Methodology. Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults 1, no. 1 (Nov 2010).

The older generations continually harp on the younger generations, mostly teenagers and young adults about not reading more. In fact, a few studies have shown that teenagers read significantly less than teenagers did twenty years ago. It was decided by experts that literacy was generally on a sharp decline. In fact, the idea of teenagers and literacy is a concern of mine as well and Moyer focuses on this topic, adding that perhaps these previous studies do not take into account the digital reading that teenagers participate in. Moyer's research question asks if it is true that teenagers are reading less or if they're are just reading in "nontraditional formats that are underreported."

Summary:

Background. Moyer begins my giving a background in the recent literacy surveys that have been performed:

• NEA survey Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America (2004)
  
• USA Today story "One in four read no books last year" (2007)
  
• NEA analysis To Read or Not to Read (2007)
  
• NEA Reading on the Rise (2009)
• The Pew Internet and American Life Project report The Internet and Daily Life (2004)
• Study Writing Technology, and Teens
• Pew report Teens and Social Media (2007)
  
• Kaiser Family Foundation research Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18 Year Olds (2005)

Moyer points out that in the NEA studies that report a fall of literacy, only print-based reading was considered, which doesn't mean much in a society with so much technical growth: "By continuing to disregard nonfiction, digital reading, and audiobook listening, the NEA reports show only a slice of the true reading habits of today's teen readers." Which basically means that there's more than one way to skin a cat as far as reading goes, and those other ways include computer, smart phone, and internet literacy. The rest of the studies and surveys performed by Pew and the Kaiser Family Foundation delve into media and technology in teenagers' lives.

Data. Moyer used three different data sources to determine the idea that teenage literacy has just changed venues, so to speak, from traditional to nontraditional formats:

1. Observational Quantitative Data (to provide baseline data)—ACT scores are gathered to determine basic reading ability; background knowledge test administered; ranking of media formats (audiobook, e-book, and print) that subjects prefer; reading habit questions.
   
2. Experimental Data—Based on formats, interests, engagement, and comprehension by having subjects read three selections (from mystery sub-genres because they are popular and the least hated among other genres) in three formats from three texts followed by measurement (of interest and comprehension).
   
3. Case Studies—Subjects interviewed afterwards.

Procedures. In this section, Moyer explains that the study will encompass about ninety minutes for each subject. The subjects will complete the background survey and be randomly assigned to a group for the experiment. The formats will include reading from a Kindle book, a printed book, and listening to a Playaway audio book. After each format, the subjects will answer the interest and comprehension questions. Then they will complete a questionnaire. Some of the subjects will also be interviewed.

Analysis. ANOVA and ANCOVA will be used for data analysis. Format is the independent variable and comprehension, interest, and engagement are the dependent variables. Nesting variables will be used to "increase the likelihood" that the findings are based on the format. Correlational analyses will be used on the questionnaires and the differences in the sample. The interviews will be transcribed.

Write-Up. Moyer plans to use traditional scientific reporting incorporated with the case study interviews. Interestingly, Moyer also wants the report to be nontraditional to reflect the nontraditional reading formats, by turning it into a wiki, which makes sense with her statements that reading has turned largely into a digital endeavor.

My Reflections:

So this article is apparently only part of Moyer's dissertation—the proposal— and I'm hoping to uncover the findings, probably in that wiki she mentioned. I'm excited about this research, because it directly reflects on what I want to uncover, if digital reading might actually increase teenage literacy. She's trying to prove that literacy hasn't decreased, just moved to different formats. I'd like to build on that, see if digital formats don't actually positively affect teenage reading.

References: (From Moyer's article)

• National Endowment for the Arts, Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, Research Division Report no. 46 (Washington, D.C.: 2004).
• Associated Press, “One in Four Read No Books Last Year.” USA Today (August 21, 2007; accessed December 8, 2008).
• National Endowment for the Arts, To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence, Research Division Report no. 47 (Washington, D.C.: 2007).
• National Endowment for the Arts, Reading on the Rise (Washington, D.C.: 2009).
• Deborah Fallows, The Internet and Daily Life, Pew Internet and American Life Project (Washington, D.C.: 2007).
• Amanda Lenhart, et al., Writing, Technology and Teens, Pew Internet and American Life Project (Washington, D.C.: 2008).
• Amanda Lenhart, et al., Teens and Social Media, Pew Internet and American Life Project (Washington, D.C.: 2007).
• D. F. Roberts, U. G. Foehr, and V. Rideout, Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8 to 18 Year Olds ( Menlo Park, CA: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005): 3-4.
• Ibid., 9
• Audio Publishers Association, “Audio Publishers Association Press Release September 12, 2006: Audio publishing industry continues to grow; shows 4.7% increase in sales: Audiobook sales reach an estimated $871 million,” 2006; Audio Publishers Association, “Audio Publishers Association Releases Major Consumer Survey and Announces Increase in Audiobook Usage: Nearly 25% of US Population is Listening to Audiobooks,” 2006. QY: Access dates? May 7, 2009
  
• Roberts, Reading on the Rise; To Read or Not to Read.
• Shirley Grimshaw, Naomi Dungworth, Cliff McKnight, and Anne Morris, “Electronic Books: Children’s Reading and Comprehension,” British Journal of Educational Technology 38:4 (2007): 583-599.
• J. E. Readence, T. W Bean, and R. S. Baldwin, Content Area Literacy: An Integrated Approach (Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1995).
• Michael Quinn Patton, Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2002): 236-7.
• Patton, 236-7.