Why Reading Matters More Than Ever For Teens
Danae Jones
In just a few hundred pages, one person can experience a completely different world of their choosing. Whether it be riding dragons, a dystopia, or another of the many types of stories available, the opportunities are endless. The ability to read and access books is a privilege not all people have. Yet, studies have shown that the desire to take advantage of that is on a steady decline among our youth. This is reflected in the low literacy rates among U.S. teens, 60% of which don’t read at grade level. This raises questions about the amount of distractions and various things that cause teens to lose interest in reading, and how to reduce them. Reading is both a tool for education and an enjoyable hobby, making it important to persist its importance.
Only 18.7% of eight to eighteen year olds reported reading daily on their own time. While it is not expected for every second of free time among youth to be spent with a book in hand, it is notable that there may be a root to the cause because of a continued decline in reading. Social media and modern technology are leading causes. The nature of short clips of information is lowering attention spans and possibly minimizing thoughts of reading among teenagers. However, this is not an unsolvable issues. There are many ways to bring back the interest and excitement of reading to teenagers such as making a conscious effort to lessen screen time, connecting books with pop culture events (the making of a book into a movie), and much more.
Reading is a significantly influential hobby on literacy, results in school, and overall increasing the knowledge of young people. With the plethora of stories and characters available, it’s also enjoyable. Despite the impacts of recent technology, it’s important to keep reading as a staple hobby for young people as time progresses.
Citations:
https://www.priestley.ac.uk/why-are-young-people-no-longer-reading/
https://thebooktruck.org/teen-literacy-crisis-by-the-numbers/
Image credit: https://www.familyeducation.com/entertainment-activities/books/20-books-for-teens-to-read-before-they-turn-18