For most students, reading can be extremely tedious. Whether it is staying up late to analyze a history textbook or searching for figurative speech in The Great Gatsby, students take the time to read purely for academic purposes. For many people, reading is associated with bad memories, but when done as a hobby out of personal interest, reading can become enjoyable.
Alice Lin, a sophomore at Cardozo, says, “I became less interested in reading after studying books in school and doing assignments. I still read but not as much as I used to as it just felt like doing homework.” Students should read more because it offers great benefits such as improving critical thinking, reducing screen time, and bettering memory.
Reading fiction books can offer a different perspective on everyday life. With so many different settings and a wide variety of characters, a novel like a sci-fi book might offer you a different adventure after a long day. Unlike watching a show however, reading is mentally engaging and therefore it encourages readers to take the time to thoroughly think about the media they are consuming. A good book invites readers to make inferences and predictions about the plot after every chapter. Additionally, with so many stories out there, reading diverse books can teach people about fashion, culture, and history that is not common knowledge as they are not mainstream. Lastly, readers can learn new words to add to their vocabulary.
Picking up a book can also reduce your screen time as it offers an activity to do when you’re bored. The average teen can spend up to eight hours on the phone, mostly on social media. Consuming social media can be draining. Lin shared, “I spend up to six hours a day on the phone for entertainment.”
Being on the phone for long periods of time can be fun but in the long term can become stressful. According to the University of Sussex, people who read just for six minutes a day experience reduced muscle tension and a slower heart rate. Many teens may look to their phone before going to bed. Bright light disrupts sleep—reading is a healthy alternative. However, keep in mind that reading stressful content such as crime novels or horror might have a negative impact on your mood. If you do not enjoy reading, you can always turn to audiobooks.