According to research published by the American Psychological Association, less than 20 percent of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for pleasure, while more than 80 percent say they use social media every day.
When thinking about the rise of technology and kids becoming more engaged with devices, it is not surprising that teens, and even adults, barely pick up a book to read. It is not necessarily bad, I mean, why read a book when people can just watch a movie, or a TV show or even YouTube or TikTok? For many people watching something on a screen is much more entertaining than words on paper.
I honestly get this, because for me, reading was too boring and I just could not actually focus when I had to sit down and read a book. I always struggled with reading even when I was a kid because I have ADHD. Having to sit down and look at a paper with tiny little words that just blended together in a pile of unfocused, compact words was basically impossible.
It was not because I did not like books, I loved stories and story telling. I just could not focus.
That is what a lot of teenagers today deal with, especially teens like me who struggle with learning disabilities.
So how can people actually put down their phones and pick up a book?
For most people, it is just finding the right book and exploring the book world. Almost every English teacher will say finding the right book is the best way to get people to love reading. As much as I hate when teachers say that, it is true.
Earlier this school year, I started reading a book that was given to me by a friend. I had the time and I always saw her reading, so I asked her to give me a recommendation. She told me that she bought a book by one of her favorite authors that she did not really like, so she gave it to me to try. I sat down and read the first couple chapters and immediately was transformed by the story. I read non-stop after that.
From experience, I know just grabbing a book and reading can be hard since there are a million types of books and it took me 16 years to find the right book.
So what I do suggest, especially if someone who struggles from a learning disability like me, try different ways to read. For me, because of my ADHD, I listen to the audiobook while I read since it helps me focus better. For people with dyslexia listening to audiobooks helps, and it is just the same as reading the book.
If someone who just thinks watching a movie is better than reading, find a friend who loves reading and ask them about books. I bet their minds will change. Read the books of their favorite movie or TV show. Look on social media for book recommendations. Also bring a book everywhere. It is stupid, I know, but there will always be times when reading can happen.
There are a lot of ways to get into books and make reading interesting, people just have to find the way it works for them.