Have Our Reading Habits Acquired ADD?

I feel as though, In these days of Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and the likes, we have lost our sense of passion towards reading.  So many seem to ignore the comfort of a good book, substituting it for the gossip of the internet.

I would argue that many of the younger generation are reading more today than those of yesteryear, however they are reading quick quips of other people's daily lives.  Sure, reading the latest argument between an internet troll and a sheltered fanboy on Facebook can be exciting, but it won't stick with you forever.  In fact, I would call it literary masturbation.  It is great at the time, but will never be memorable.  However, reading an enthralling novel is more like your first time.  It can be scary, exciting, clumsy, or even mind blowing.  However, it is never forgettable.

Much like my little dog in the upper left corner, we have become lazy, and that scares me.  Will the future writers shy away from the art, hiding in the anonymity of the internet?  Don't get me wrong, there is some fantastic literary compositions on the web, many are fan fictions, but they do not reach the masses like a good book does.

I can remember, when I was young, going to the library every Saturday and picking out a few books.  I never really followed one genre specifically, and actually read at a higher level than most my age, so my selection was pretty broad.

I remember finding the Boxcar Children on a shelf and thought I would give it a read.  When I got home, I laid on my bed reading.  Before I knew it, I had finished the book and it was already bedtime.  From there, I moved on to The Chronicles of Narnia, Choose Your Own Adventures, and eventually up to To Kill a Mockingbird, then the fantastic writings of Clive Barker.

In reading, I have always immersed myself into the story, becoming the character.  I take time to visualize the environment, sense the emotions, fell the pains.  It saddens me to see that many of today's youth will not experience anything beyond forced School reading, and twitter quips.

I hope that someday I can publish a book with as much influence as Harry Potter), Twilight, or even 50 Shades of Gray.  Whether you love them or hate them, they inspired reading upon the masses and found their places in the hearts of the world.