Filipino kids not reading as much anymore
Nov 20
In the New Generations study made by Cartoon Network, it was shown that internet usage has grown tremendously, especially with the 7-14 y/o age bracket. In fact, 61% of all Filipinos in that age are already online. As an internet marketer, this is definitely good news but I was very alarmed when I also saw that reading books dropped to fourth place, behind TV, internet usage, and listening to music. Let me just take this opportunity to share some insights on this.
Books have made me who I am today
Other than having great mentors, I also owe a lot to the non-school books that I voraciously read over the past few years. I personally feel that much of what I am today as a marketer and as a professional was built on the concepts and values that I picked up from reading. That’s why when I speak at school conferences and events, I always stress the value of continuous education even after graduation. You can never stop learning. At a young age, let’s ACTIVELY teach our children how to read books. Sit and read with them so that they develop that habit. There are so many things in this world now that can easily distract kids and all of them are just a click away. I don’t even have to mention the internet – there’s the mobile phone and hand-held console gaming devices like the PSP and the Nintendo DS.
Another major factor that will stop kids from reading is Google. When my generation was in High School and we needed to do research, we didn’t have the luxury of search engines. We had to spend hours in the library taking down notes on various books and old newspaper/magazine articles.
Set Limits
The biggest mistake you can do with your kid is to not set limits with his or her internet usage and playtime. The value of reading is found in the discipline of learning – you teach your kids to go beyond school. You teach them how to stimulate their imagination. You help them gain a major advantage once they grow up and start their own careers.
However, always remember that too much of ANYTHING is bad, hehe. Don’t force your kids to read insane volumes everyday because that will have a bad impact on them. Start them slow with children books, then graduate to story books, and as they grow older maybe you can have a reward system in place if that they read more non-school books, they get extra allowance or something (just an idea).
READ. LEARN. LIVE.
Rawr. 
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hmmm.. sound interesting..
hmmm.. sounds interesting.. parent should be aware of this.
so, what are the effects of internet to the reading interest of students?