In order to determine the reading and television viewing habits of American adults during time spent in waiting rooms, a study observed 100 adults waiting outside the Emergency Treatment Room of John F. Kennedy Hospital in Edison, New Jersey, over a four-week period. Results revealed that more of these adults chose to watch television as an activity than chose to read, supporting the hypothesis that when there is a choice between watching television and reading during time spent waiting, the average American adult will watch television. Underlying this study is the growing concern expressed by various social commentators that aliteracy (the phenomenon of people who can but do not read) has replaced illiteracy as the major threat to American society. This problem is addressed in the second half of this paper, which provides a review of the literature concerning American reading and television watching habits, the reasons behind them, and the characteristics of the groups involved. (Twenty references are appended.) (MM)