New York Times' Matt Richtel summarizes these concerns in an article about the studies: "There is a widespread belief among teachers that students' constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks."

Nearly three quarters of the 685 public and private K-12 teachers surveyed in the Common Sense Media online poll believe that students use of entertainment media (including TV, video games, texting and social networking) "has hurt student's attention spans a lot or somewhat."

Likewise, in the Pew online survey, which polled 2,462 middle and high school teachers, 87% report that these technologies are creating "an easily distracted generation with short attention spans," and 64% say that digital technologies "do more to distract students than to help them academically."

Television has the power to affect one's voting, shopping, and eating habits along with one's political or social viewpoints. In fact recent studies have shown that violence on television is related to "subsequent violent behavior" (Hall 311). With the wide grasp of television it would be rather surprising if television did not affect literacy.

Many scholars believe that television has no effect on the literacy rates in the United States. (Fowles 729) This topic has been through heated discussions and studies through the years but to no avail. Other scholars feel that television does affect literacy, either positively or negatively. What ever the case, this essay will examine a few of the viewpoints on television and literacy and then direct the emphasis on the theory that television does effect literacy negatively and purpose some alternate solutions

The displacement hypothesis is the most credible theory the notion that television does affect literacy. In order to understand the full spectrum of the problem and accept solution one must first recap the previous data. The Alwin study as reported by Glenn found a -.191 correlation between television and vocabulary. (Glenn 218) The results were similar to the -.20 correlation found in the Morgan and Gross study. (Hornik 195) The interesting point of this study was that the correlation was not only found with reading but also mathematics and language skills. Again the National Assessment study also reinforced the multiple correlations. (Hornik 195) The Hall study also supported this and can be read in the previous parts of this article. (Hall 312) The main point to be looked at here, are the multiple correlations. This shows that television is not only taking time away from reading but also mathematics, and other subjects. The displacement theory definitely is a useful tool in correcting the problems in which television can cause.

Television, movies, video games, mobile phones, and the Internet have all been identified as the culprits that rot the brain, desensitize, delude, and generally ruin the minds of the young (and perhaps everyone else too).

The media and popular press point clearly to new technologies as the cause of this decline but also, ironically, as the source of the “new literacy.” Texting, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and countless other technologies and media are widely seen as undermining or displacing literacy

While the long-term effects of television viewing in the early years are often up for debate, pediatricians and researchers can agree that young children who watch television need supervision and guidelines for the amount of television to which they are exposed and the types of shows they can access

Reading for pleasure, which has declined among young people in recent decades, enhances thinking and engages the imagination in a way that visual media such as video games and television do not, Greenfield said.

"Studies show that reading develops imagination, induction, reflection and critical thinking, as well as vocabulary," Greenfield said. "Reading for pleasure is the key to developing these skills. Students today have more visual literacy and less print literacy. Many students do not read for pleasure and have not for decades."