Paris...Due to the increased popularity of tv, video games, movies, iPod, cell phones and the like,..the world is becoming more and more visually oriented and reading less each year.

According to at least one study available on the internet the "average" person between the ages of 18-24 watches 2 1/2 hours of tv per day and reads 7 minutes.

Less than 1/2 of the adult population in the USA reads literature, and the decline in reading is rapidly increasing.

According to some educators who have studied the problem the decrease in time spent reading and the increase in time spent with more passive forms of "entertainment" such as tv and video has profound effects upon one's ability to concentrate, communication skills (verbal communication), comprehension of written material, and leads to a less informed and less independant individual.

Some of this trend towards a more visual approach to material is borne out right here on iReports....for example,...10 out of the top 12 "most viewed" posts yesterday were videos pertaining to the protests in Iran and devoid of any either written or verbal content and lacking any historical context...powerful images,..perhaps...but finally just pandering to one's curiosity and interest in violence.

In the past other reporters here have mentioned this trend towards an emphasis on photographs and videos...will we soon lose the ability to read and write?

So, while you're thinking that over, have a look at the images on this post which are photographs I took of a wall outside a photography studio in a district known as "the marais."  The City of Paris regularly gives permission to photographers to display their photos here for a period of three months....after which time they are "tagged" over to such an extent that they're ready to be hosed off.

I'm sort of losing my interest in writing and you probably in reading so, anyway...have a great visual day...as for me, ..I'm headed out to take some photographs and videos...

seems to be only guys who are interested in posing for these shots...maybe because they watch more tv than women.

...and YoYo's easy to recognize,...but I'll bet you can't find me...and it's not the guy whose finger is in his nose.