Teacher, What is a Book?

As I talk casually among classmates, I comment, "What's you favorite books?"

Dead silence.

Then someone says ,"I hate books." The rest all nod in agreement. I'm offended.

In the Mercury News, I think Micheal Skube anchored the point. About how college sophomores don't know the difference between fact and fiction, or what advocate means. These are young adults with above a 3.5 GPA.

GPA is never anything but a score of how you do in class. But people put it above S.A.T. scores. It turns out that these people can only suggest 1 name when the read something.

"Dan Brown". The author of "The Da Vinci Code". But it is the only one they know.

I'm in middle school, and I can suggest more names than that. Piers Anthony, Mercedes Lackey, Erin Hunter, Garth Nix, etc.

With all the new technology around, the crowds focus on this. They don't read for pleasure. The only things they would read is assigned stuff. With some people, the go "Books are so stupid," or "Books are boring and out of style."

Students in my class gather into their tiny clans, put the ear buds for their iPods into each other ears, and their eyes give a dazed look. They get their cell phones and text each other.

Not only the tech, but they immerse themselves into stupid social events. I admit, having a good social life is an excellent achievement. But I'd never let it interfere with academic life. The clans I live around gossip about crushes and think that it's such a great achievement.

That's merely the girls. There are only a few boys on the honor roll.

The media as well. They are addicted to television. They like things such as "American Idol", "So You Think You Can Dance?", and even the childish and stupid "Spongebob". I personally think T.V. programming is nothing but childish shows. I watched "American Idol" one night, and absolutely hated it. I've seen "Spongebob: The Movie" when I went to a birthday party. I had never been in such pain.

And lastly, Xboxes. Parents limit time on computer, while giving them video games and XBoxes. I have unlimited time on the computer, but I have to compile games on my own. Guys are more addicted to them, but girls are as well. They like Final Fantasy and Kingdom of Hearts. I myself am disturbed by the fact that Disney characters are intermixed with anime (Oh gods, attack of Daffy Duck!)

They would put aside school any day for these things. And thus they never read.

"College admissions specialists disagree and are apt to label the student with high SAT scores but mediocre grades unmotivated, even lazy," is what Mr. Skube explains.

This is our culture now. Who will change now?