Commonlit: Why it Matters that Teens are Reading Less

PART A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the text?

• The time that teenagers spend with digital media negatively impacts their ability to make sense of longer and more complex written material.

• Teenagers are not developing the social skills they need to succeed in the world, as digital devices encourage them to spend time alone.

• Fast-paced games and constantly updating social media makes it difficult for teenagers to be entertained by paper media, such as books and magazines.

• The time that teenagers spend playing video games or on social media takes away from their commitment to their studies, negatively affecting their grades.

Part B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to part A?

• "One out of 10 8th graders in 2016 spent 40 hours a week or more gaming - the time commitment of a full-time job." (Paragraph 6)

• "In another analysis, we found that today's teens go out with their friends considerably less than previous generations did." (Paragraph 11).

• "Of course, teens are still reading. But they're reading short texts and Instagram captions, not longform articles that explore deep themes and require critical thinking and reflection." (Paragraph 15)

• "Data connecting excessive digital media time to mental health issues suggests a limit of two hours a day of free time spent with screens..." (Paragraph 20)

Which of the following describes the author's main purpose in the text?

• to offer teenagers fun and engaging alternatives to spending time with digital media

• to emphasize the disadvantages of spending more time online and less time reading

• to show how reading from digital devices is not as beneficial as reading from paper sources

• to speculate how teenagers will be impacted in the future if they continue to rely on digital devices

What connection does the author draw between new digital media and movies?

• The author shows how digital media has negatively impacted teenagers' engagement in other activities, such as going to the movies.

• The author highlights the disadvantages of spending more time streaming movies alone, than going to the theater with friends.

• The author shows how new digital media and movies both discourage teenagers from reading for pleasure.

• The author discusses how new digital media doesn't require teenagers to engage in complex thought, as movies once did.

What is the relationship between reading longform texts and the development of certain skills?