Well there are quite a few points I have to agree with you Triton (all you've said about television and music), but I can't really agree with you on the reading issue.
The thing is - people never actually read stuff (at least not the majority).
Those who read for the pleasure of being taken on a literary jurney to a world rich and mind boggling still read (there are many people that still read).
But it is true that less and less people read (statistically). It's because of television - yes. But these are the people that are now watching sopa operas (and use to read soap operas in the past). I couldn't care less if these people do not read anymore (is it really bad if they stopped printing numerous Juan and Anita and the sad love X-angle of their passion while visitng the beaches of lust in the romantic and exotic Acapulco).
Oh and the yellow press has a lot to do with this also. Such people can simply read the same stories they read in book (about fictional characters) in yellos press (about celebreties).
Trust me - not more the 15% (and that's a really optimistic number already) of people are on the intelectual level high enough to really apreaciate a good book (or really understand anything that isn't shallow and with an unmistakable moral served to them on a plate).
The world has not deteriorated - it just stopped covering up for its stupidity.
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