Did I say that? Yes, maybe I did. I guess I didn't research it enough to satisfy your opinion, but yes that's my impression. I just think it's interesting that apart from that issue of content we seem to agree on almost everything else.
I've been reading along and giggling a little bit about this question. Have any of you ever actually read the internet? Like, the whole thing, all of it? Reading and writing aren't dead, people just aren't doing it on paper as much because doing it with electricity is easier, and more people have the ability to see it quicker. Think about just today alone: How many blogs have new content world wide? How many forums are being posted to? New websites being created? And if you really want to go overboard: How many design documents for independent Flash games are being created? How many scripts for youtube shows/video blogs? How many emails? How many texts are being sent, instead of making a call? People of all ages read and write more than ever today, I guess is my point.
I'm not sure that reading blogs, gaming, or skimming other internet content is a good substitute for reading well crafted novels or properly edited textbooks or newspapers, though.
What are newspapers? Whether you or I or anyone thinks the internet is a good substitute or not is a completely moot point, it's here, it's happening, stuff is changing and there's nothing that can be done about it. Gaming? There are blogs for everything. Just because you assume that everyone is only looking for gaming blogs doesn't make it a reality. More and more blogs have editors too, because it's serious business. There is a reason that newspapers are dieing out, it didn't just happen randomly. If blogs and online news didn't offer as much quality as what was printed in the newspaper, then they wouldn't have thrived. As far as properly edited text books goes, I have 4 different books on Actionscript 3 (Flash's programming language). All (but one) of them are great books on the subject, and give me a complete understanding of the language. But you want to know what's been way more useful? Google. The books are all fairly general. For instance, none of my books have a solution for pixel perfect collisions. A quick Google search for "as3 pixel perfect collision" returns 4,560 results on the subject. No matter what textbook it is, or how well it's been edited, it will not have all the answers that may be needed. Are 4,560 results more information than I need? Yes. Do I have to filter through them to get to the needed information? Yes, but you would do that in any textbook or encyclopaedia as well. But now I'm getting far away from my point, which was simple: There is more reading and writing going on today than in any previous time in human history.
Honestly I think writing is one of the things that doesn't change much era to era. People will always want to be entertained, and with that comes writers. The nature may change a bit as visual mediums become more popular, but the writing will always be there. Even reality TV shows need to be scripted to a certain degree. (i.e. we do this challenge this week, etc.)
This is true. The combination of the internet, video games, movies etc adds other forms of mediums besides reading so that the act is socially rejected. a lack of interest in reading creates a lack of interest in writing. however there a still quite a large amount of people who are interested in doing such,
