| Re: Great! Harry Potter! It's got kids READING again!
I spent all my childhood sitting inside reading books. The result is that I have a very limited knowledge of pop culture, haven't heard of anything and am a bit awkward socially, but I can spell things correctly, my grammar is okay* and my concentration levels are perhaps a bit higher than a lot of more TV-oriented people I know of. Watching a film, playing a game or whatnot is fine as entertainment, but if you want to learn more about correct language beyond what it sounds like then it does help to sit down and read something. Not true in all cases, mind, but it does help somewhat. Also, the written word is useful if someone wants to convey ideas more effectively and with more detail than a half-hour slot on Channel 4 will allow.
However - to those who say it encourages you to use your imagination more, bullshit. My imagination's rubbish.
Reading should be encouraged, but with a bit more moderation than some people seem to think is suitable. Children need a life outside the pages, and they aren't going to be fit and healthy if they sit indoors with their nose in a book, and they certainly won't see as many awesome explosions and robot armies.
*In other words, I can write a decent-ish C.V., but fall flat on the interview. | 
