Question

why it matters that teens are reading less
jean twenge • 2018
when is the last time you read a book for pleasure? according to jean twenge, a professor of psychology, digital media is changing teenagers’ reading habits.
as you read, take notes on how a lack of reading impacts teenagers.
(1) most of us spend much more time with digital media than we did a decade ago. but today’s teens have come of age with smartphones in their pockets. compared to teens a couple of decades ago, the way they interact with traditional media like books and movies is fundamentally different.
my co - authors and i analyzed nationally representative surveys of over one million u.s. teens collected since 1976 and discovered an almost seismic shift in how teens are spending their free time.
increasingly, books seem to be gathering dust.
it’s all about the screens
by 2016, the average 12th grader said they spent a staggering six hours a day texting, on social media, and online during their free time. and that’s just three activities; if other digital media activities were included, that estimate would surely rise.
five by roxanne milward is licensed under cc by - nc - nd 2.0.

1. what connection does the author draw between new digital media and movies?

a. the author shows how digital media has negatively impacted teenagers’ engagement in other activities, such as going to the movies.
b. the author highlights the disadvantages of spending more time streaming movies alone, than going to the theater with friends.
c. the author shows how new digital media and movies both discourage teenagers from reading for pleasure.
d. the author discusses how new digital media doesn’t require teenagers to engage in complex thought, as movies once did.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The passage focuses on reading habits, not movie - going engagement reduction due to digital media. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The question is about the connection between digital media and movies, not the disadvantages of streaming vs theater - going. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The author's main point is that digital media (and the change in interaction with traditional media like movies) is leading to less reading for pleasure. New digital media and the changed way of interacting with movies (a traditional media) both contribute to less pleasure reading. This fits.
• Option D: The passage doesn't compare the complexity of thought required by digital media and movies. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. The author shows how new digital media and movies both discourage teenagers from reading for pleasure.