Once upon a time, reading was the most popular pastime for people, specifically students. However, presently, with constant competition for students’ attention, reading has become more of a rarity.
“I feel like I never get time to read,” said OH senior Gabi Concepcion. “Usually, I will read for at least 15 minutes a day, but it depends.”
Students are chronically short on time. Between sports, homework, jobs, and other extracurriculars, it’s hard to have time to do the things they enjoy outside of school. This can become an issue when students rely on these other activities or hobbies to have a sense of joy in their lives.
“Books have definitely been such a good motivation and comfort for me. I can find so much of myself in the characters in books, that I think it is nice to have them to fall back on,” said fellow OH senior Abby Geers.
Besides personal enjoyment, books are an amazing tool for people to connect with others. With so many genres and plots, it’s easy to find something for everyone to enjoy, so finding common ground with people using books is a great way to make some connections.
“Just like exercising, sometimes reading can be more fun when it’s done with another person,” said English teacher Kristin Wood.
“I know I love to discuss books I’ve read with other people who have read the same book. I also like suggesting books and getting recommendations. Students can definitely do all these things with others,” she added.
A common consensus is that social media and technology have caused some challenges in education relating to attention spans and distraction, but when social media is used as an asset rather than an issue, it can sometimes help get students interested in different topics- like reading.
Over the last few years, BookTok, a community on the social media app TikTok, has brought reading back into the limelight. These types of videos have gained popularity and in doing so given great attention to skilled authors like Sally Rooney, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Madeline Miller.
“I see more students than I used to with books for sure,” said business teacher and book lover Sarah Carlon. “I don’t know if it’s because of BookTok, but I think that’s a part of it because they are spending their time on TikTok and getting recommendations.”
These books have helped millions of people rediscover a love for reading, and with such a large following online, it’s easy to find people to talk to about these works.
“Me and my friends usually read the same rom-coms like Emily Henry’s books and share which ones we recommend to each other,” said Concepcion. “I usually read rom-coms because I like knowing how it ends. Despite the crazy middle part filled with twists, in the back of my mind, I know or at least hope it’s gonna work out. It’s some happiness in our world and lives that are busy and stressful.”
However, as fun as modern rom-coms, fantasy, and sci-fi books are, that doesn’t mean students should ignore the classics entirely.
“I usually read literary fiction or classics. I like their use of language the best- I find it the strongest and most memorable. It also draws out emotion the best for me,” said Geers.
These stories are classics for a reason, and for anyone searching for an intellectual read, it is certainly recommended that they check out these acclaimed novels. But, like anything else, these stories aren’t for everyone, and that’s totally fine. It is more important for students to find something that they enjoy.
“I’m really into reading based off of your personality and your mood,” said English teacher Emily Gaw, “so I don’t think there’s one book that every single person has to read… I don’t think there are these great canon pieces of literature every kid should be a part of.”
Students should consider getting back into reading this year. Schedules can be busy, so try to block out some time to figure out what you like and get started. The end of the school year is coming fast, so people should consider starting to get into reading now so that they can spend their summer reading in the sun and not doom-scrolling for hours on end.
I am a senior at OH and so excited to be a Managing and Opinions Section Editor this year! I love working on 42Fifty, but I am also very involved in band and numerous honor societies here. Looking forward to doing great work this year!
