The New Conventional “Reader”
Since I first began to read, I became addicted. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been spreading myself thin — starting almost five books at a time; Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian, Biographies, Non-Fiction – pretty much anything I can get my hands on from the library and book stores. However, I discovered in high school that I am part of an “uncool” minority of young adults.
According to the “Media of Mass Communication” and many newspaper articles I’ve read over the years, the population of young adult readers has decreased considerably; by almost 30%-50%. It was difficult to comprehend. Here I am, unable to even afford the unending list of books I’ve been dying to read (literally the number is over 800…), and then over here, there are a growing number of people becoming what is described as “aliterate” – meaning they are non readers who can read, but do not. However, after discovering this, I began to look around the campus, as well as around Redding in general, and what I saw supported the statistics; most people were on their phones reading text messages, Tweets, Facebook posts, looking at Pinterest, and other social media sites. Very, very few people were holding books (or even e-readers for that matter).
Now I understand that reading is not everyone’s cup of tea (we all have our own interests), but I have to say that this gradual percentage decrease concerns me, and I believe that technology is a considerable cause for this “recession” of young adult readers.
I remember the day that I received my first cell phone as a gift for my 14th birthday, because I was going into high school (and for a majority of those that I know, they received theirs at around the same age). However, today, the average child receives their first cell phone at 10 years old. Also, with the increase and advancements in technology today, over 75% of children and young adults have access to laptops, computers, iPads, etc. – and what websites or apps are they most frequently on you might ask? – social media.
Reading books has been proven to expand vocabulary, improve analytical thinking, enhance memory (decreasing your chances of getting Alzheimer’s by over 50%), learn new information, improve your writing, and other advantages. However, with the overwhelming amount of young adults purely focusing on their friends’ Facebook posts/pictures that commonly read: “OMG. He is so adorbs #cutestkitty#mine#jealous” – I can have comprehensible reason to doubt we’re receiving the benefits I listed above, because this has become the norm in our language; this is what is unfortunately considered “common language.”
Our vocabulary HAS exponentially decreased, Alzheimer’s IS increasing and developing at younger ages – we are educating ourselves less and less by not picking up a book (or heaven forbid even picking up or going online to read the paper!). We need to modify the pessimistic connotation of the word “bookworm”, and set an example for younger generations and the generations to come, that reading is not only good for you, but reading is “cool.” Throughout my life, I have always been teased negatively for being an eager reader. It was NOT a socially accepted trait – even today it is still not; and by society influencing young adults to think this way beginning in early elementary school, were are contributing to the cause of this decline in readers.
You may have tried reading before, or getting through a whole book that you may have felt like reading once, but try again!
Take a break from your phone, iPad, and the internet!
Leave your Instagram page alone for an hour or so!
Tell your boyfriend/girlfriend you’ll text them back later.
Just for an hour or so, pick up a book.
