BOOK SQUIRM
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The world may have seen many works of incredible literature during the modern age but America's favorite book is still The Bible, according to new research.
The reading habits study of 2,000 Americans found that 28 percent count the good book as their favorites, beating out the next top contender, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird at 23 percent.
Next on the list was the Harry Potter series (20 percent) followed by Little Women (16.6 percent) and the Da Vinci Code (16.5 percent).
The study, conducted by parental software developers OurPact.com, also found that, shockingly, one in five Americans haven't actually read a book in more than five years.
As many as a third haven't read a book cover-to-cover in at least two years, and one in four say that they don't read for pleasure at all.
Interestingly, enthusiastic readers make their way through enough literature to bring the average number of books read by Americans each year to a little more than four, despite 29 percent reporting having read one book at most in the last 12 months.
The study found just 31 percent of Americans would pick reading over watching television or browsing on their phone when it comes to enjoyment.
In fact, 45 percent of Americans say they either somewhat or strongly agree with the idea that easy access to mobile devices makes it harder to find the time or discipline to read.
Surprisingly, millennials - a technology-dependent generation - were more likely to have read a book within the last three months than people 45 and older.
"Times are changing," Jim Magner, a spokesperson for OurPact.com says. "In moments of boredom, we no longer see people reaching for books; we see them reaching for screens.
"Devices provide an effortless diversion, but the long-term benefits of reading are incalculable, especially for children. It's important for parents to balance these two activities by limiting screen time, and helping kids develop a passion for reading early on."
It seems that, when it comes to children's time, books are in direct competition with mobile screens.
According to OurPact's research, 57 percent of parents report struggling to control their children's time on devices.
Interestingly, 20 percent also report struggling to encourage an interest in reading in their children, and 30% view their children as uninterested in reading as a hobby.
As a signal of hope, OurPact.com reports that parents do still make an effort to get kids reading: 75 percent report making an effort to read to kids, and 92 percent say they encourage their kids to read independently.
So, what do people enjoy reading, for the most part? Of the population that report reading, the most popular genre is fiction (50 percent) followed by thrillers (42 percent) and non-fiction (41 percent).
"Children are made readers in the laps of their parents," OurPact's Magner shares. "Parents need to make an effort to plant that love for reading early on... Set a limit on device use for each day, and schedule an hour of reading time for each evening.
You'll notice a difference immediately, but it's the benefits down the road that truly matter."
America's Top Ten Favorite Books:
The Bible
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Harry Potter series
Little Women
The Da Vinci Code
Gone With the Wind
The Hobbit
Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Lord of the Rings series
Twilight series
ENDS
