“Is Reading Over for Gen Z Students?”

College Matters is a podcast from The Chronicle of Higher Education. Here’s an episode that seems urgently relevant: “Is Reading Over for Gen Z Students?” But the light, cheery tone is often weirdly at odds with the topic.

Listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos — two suggestions offered in this podcast — don’t replace the work (and joy) of reading. Podcasts and YouTube videos might, on occasion, supplement the work (and joy) of reading in worthwhile ways. But without the reading, what’s the point? If instructors are unwilling to assign “an entire novel,” exactly what are podcasts and YouTube videos supposed to be supplementing? And what happens when the work of listening and watching becomes odious?

One more question, unasked in this podcast: how can students be passing classes if they don’t do the reading?

In my last year of teaching (2014–2015) an ace student of mine told me about being in an American lit class in which she was one of just two students who did the reading from class to class. The other reader: another ace student (and former student of mine). People, it’s bad.

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All OCA reading in college posts (Pinboard)