Growing up, I was always encouraged to read. Whether it participating in the local library’s summer reading program, earning pizzas in my school’s reading program, or just plan enjoying a book on my own, I loved to read as a child.

Somewhere along the way, I changed. Maybe it was my fascination with technology. They didn’t have books in Star Wars, they had holographic devices to get their information and entertainment on. Maybe I associated books with school and school with being forced into things I didn’t want to do. Those stories we were assigned in English class always seemed to drag on no matter how many pages they were. Maybe, my tastes simply changed and reading books no longer seemed like a fun thing to do.

Whatever the reason, books simply don’t interest me and they haven’t for a long time. That is not to say I don’t read. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I spend large chunks of my day reading online. I track over 60 feeds in my RSS reader and that number grows all the time. On my Facebook profile under “Favorite Books,” you’ll find one entry: The Internet. And I wasn’t trying to be funny or clever. I really do only read the Internet.

The bigger question is, “Do my habits make me dumb (or dumber than I would otherwise be)?” The benefits of reading are proven and well understood. Higher intelligence, better vocabulary, and a better understanding of others are all skills improved by reading. Am I missing out because I choose to stare at words on a screen rather than on a page?

The reading I do online is probably much more than I would ever read out of any single book in one day and it’s from a varied number of authors and sources. That logic would indicate that I am somewhat ahead of the game. Although, one might argue that the sources I’m reading from aren’t as high quality and therefore are less stimulating. Regardless, I think I’m fairly well versed in culture, above average in vocabulary, and intelligent for the most part. I’d be interested to hear what others think.