Reading

I looked into something I have been hearing a lot of of late.  That is, “people don’t read anymore.”
I did have a problem with that.  The first reason was the number of books on shelves I see behind those being interview on tv.  The second was by “believe it or not” a Mills and Boon author.  She said Mills and Boon book production had doubled over the pandemic and has doubled again since. The third was my own experience.  I like to read, and I know others, both young and old like to read.
Yet having said that my research showed that what is considered “deep reading” has declined.  A web site called thoughtco.com defined deep reading as “the active process of thoughtful and deliberate reading carried out to enhance one's comprehension and enjoyment of a text.”
It was put forward that while reading has not declined the method of delivery has.  E-books and social media play a bigger part than ever.  It is more interactive than in the past - to the point where some authors respond to the immediate internet feedback.  I know I have responded to feedback.  My articles are shorter than they were.  Good for others, and good for me really.
It was acknowledged that internet generated reading has some dangers.  Big on the list was distractions.  Two thirds of respondents to a recent study said they were checking social media “often” or “very often.”  While it is acknowledged that digital reading does improve comprehension skills, the improvement is between six and seven times smaller than print reading.  It has also been found that grammatical rules are less often adhered to. 
Yet I found this very interesting. “Recent data from the American Library Association point up some surprising choices by today’s Generation Z (ages 13-25) compared with those of Millennials (ages 26-40). According to their study, Gen Zers are not only reading more books per month (presumably for pleasure) than are Millennials, but are reading more print than their older brethren.”
So it may well be like what has happened to vinal albums.  There has been a resurgence. 
This is not an attempt to harken back to some good old days.  Each generation is different and have pluses and minuses in my mind.  “Different” to me does not mean “not as good.” 
Books may well be in decline, but reading is not.