Is reading dying as a vibrant activity?

According to a new report, from charity Booktrust of 15000 adults, England is developing into a literary apartheid of better-off readers and less-well-off watchers (of TV, DVD, computer screens). It might seem logical that those with greater means might spend them in this way but is this how most people feel the world around them is going? One in four of the poorest socio-economic backgrounds said they never read anything. It makes for quite bleak reading- 64% of 18-30-year-olds believe physical books will become obsolete in the next 20 years and 56% of the same age range would rather surf the Net or use social media than read.
With such a negative view of books, does reading have a future? Is this just an English issue?
About three-quarters of those surveyed said they thought reading improved their quality of life but if this attitude is so affected by social class, this might be related as much to personal wealth as to the value of reading.

Viv Bird, chief executive of Booktrust, said: "there is a worrying cultural divide linked to deprivation. There will never be a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to social mobility, but reading plays an important role - more action is needed to support families."