Technology has upgraded most aspects of our society: transportation, communication, health, etc. We now have airports that have hundreds of people that go through it each and every day. We’re now able to talk to someone halfway across the world with the simple touch of a dial button on our phones. We now have hospitals that save lives, and our life spans can reach almost 100 years old! 

Technology has even impacted education and the resources used. Reading in school can now be done online. Digital pdfs and books are now used more regularly, even before the pandemic. And the actual curriculum that calls for physically reading books has changed. To me, it seems like schools are demanding less and less of reading novels from their students. I remember back when I was in middle school, we would have a book reading competition. Whichever class read the most books won a pizza party at the end of the year! Reading fueled our minds. It inspired us. My friends and I would swap books that we found interesting and wanted to share with each other. 

Middle schoolers nowadays worry more about their social media likes and who’s Snapchatting them, than reading to expand their minds and literacy. 

Of course, I understand we cannot fight paradigm shifts, and we should embrace the social and technological progressions we have made and continue to make.

However, I wish reading was not something that was getting left behind! 

Social media tabloids have made our attention spans thin. We now sometimes read so quickly and carelessly due to the online articles that are most common in today’s society. Our eyes skim over these words. 

We are missing out on the amazing positives reading can provide for us. 

Reading books can improve your brain functioning and connectivity (1). It can also increase your vocabulary and the way you communicate (1). 

To me, reading and writing go hand in hand. If you are wishing to be a better writer, then I recommend you balance your time to read more! Find what piques your interest the most, maybe you’ll like fantasy or mystery, or maybe even nonfiction. Reading can overall improve your literacy. 

And reading can impact you even deeper than this. Arguably, reading can provide an escape. It can reduce stress and allow someone to relax their mind. 

There are so many genres and plots that can be explored. With the right imagination, you can plant yourself right into the world you are reading and temporarily escape reality. 

I loved reading whenever I was stressed or depressed. Reading kept me sane when I was fighting off so many negatives in my life. 

Reading inspired me and eventually sparked my passion for writing. I now believe writing is my calling in life, and I would not be where I am today without my love of reading. Reading and writing give me purpose. Whenever college gets too stressful (which is sometimes always), I like to escape and read a new book or even write my own work. 

I feel like a lot more people would find the same love in reading if they only gave it a fair chance. I understand that when reading is forced by teachers, it can make it less desirable. However, try to read something you genuinely enjoy in your own time. Maybe try to read one chapter before bed every night, or read a chapter every morning with breakfast to begin. You may find yourself escaping into a world you never thought you needed.

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books#takeaway