Some sociologists, researchers, educators and parents are worried that today's teenagers do not read as much as young people in previous generations. Their concern, however, does not seem to be justified.
There is evidence which shows that despite this opinion teenagers still read books. It is enough to look at the sheer madness that accompanies the publication of every part of the Harry Potter series or the Twilight Saga. Some may argue that young people's interest in this kind of literature results from the latest fashion. Whatever the reason, the fact is that these titles attract millions of teenage readers all over the world.
Young people refuse to read the classics, which has always been teachers' concern, but if there is a story that appeals to them in a film or TV series, they will certainly want to compare it to the book it is based on. What has changed, though, is the source and kind of literature that contemporary teenagers choose. Young people have access to a variety of media, so they are not limited to traditionally printed books. These days they can find some titles on the Internet or download audiobooks.
To sum up, the worries that teenagers read very little are probably a little exaggerated. Their interest in literature may not be shown by the number of books they buy and they may be quite selective in their choice of reading, but some data shows that young people can still be captivated by literature.
sociologist – socjolog
researcher – badacz
educator – wychowawca, nauczyciel
previous – poprzedni
generation – pokolenie
concern – zmartwienie, troska
justified – uzasadniony
evidence – dowód, dowody
sheer madness – czyste szaleństwo
to accompany – towarzyszyć
to result from – wynikać z
reason – powód
source – źródło
access – dostęp
variety – różnorodność
to download – ściągać z internetu
based on - oparty na
exaggerated – przesadzony
selective – wybiórczy
data – dane
captivated – oczarowany, zachwycony