The NEA’s “Reading at Risk” report suggested that a major reason for the decline in reading was competition from new media. A new study from investment banking firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson adds some documentation. The study found that while the number of hours Americans spent reading trade books continues to fall—from 109 hours per year in 2002 to a projected 106 hours in 2006—the number of hours spent with new electronic devices continues to increase. The Internet has quickly become a favorite among U.S. households, with Americans spending 176 hours using the Web in 2003, and use is projected to increase to 213 hours in 2006. Click here for more on the VSS report.