Reading challenges are cropping up again and again. The news is warning that young people are reading fewer physical books and newspapers. Common opinion seems to be that the internet is corrupting reading skills.
What if the commentators are the ones misreading? Maybe we don’t have to worry about young people, but rather about the one-dimensional reading skills of older people. This interpretation is supported by a recent US study showing that people over 65 are the group most likely to spread fake news. Age was a bigger factor here than things like political affiliation. People who are used to traditional media tend to believe false news as long as the form and appearance look right.
For the time being, we can stop patronizing young people and focus instead on expanding our own information horizon. What about a digital reading challenge that encourages older people to explore Wikipedia and to assess its articles not by the platform but by their content? Participating in Twitter discussions is a healthy alternative for seniors who tend to hang out only on Facebook. Thanks to the magical world of the internet, you can also read quality newspapers from around the world and find out that truth does not appear in your local, printed newspaper.
Young people, of course, have known this for some time.