There are several good things about this piece. It: 1) covers the multifarious reasons why college students may be reading less & less well 2) is written by a recent HS and college grad (we don't hear enough re education directly from students) 3) reflects some good research #giftarticle
To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school.
And that last line, “To understand the human condition, and to appreciate humankind’s greatest achievements, you still need to read The Iliad—all of it.” Uh… No.
I am having a harder time reading a book these days due to my social media addiction. I am scheduling time on weekends when I spend a couple hours sitting in the garden with a book and no phone or laptop. And I am in my 60's and have always been a reader and book collector!
I like how the article identifies a high stakes, narrowed education system and the commercialisation of purpose (you read to get a job) as high level drivers of this change.
Both headline and subheadline, however, are super unfortunate: sweeping, inaccurate, hyperbolic. For the many who won't read the article, the headline reinforces disinformation about US schools. They article suggests many causes of reading issues in college. The headline just bashes high schools.