As teenagers stuck in a small town, we long for adventure and excitement. However, lack of time, money and rides can prevent us from seeking it. Instead of complaining about being trapped and turning to our phones, there is an alternative option. I think we often forget that we can discover what we wish for elsewhere.
Even though we have spent countless nights trying to force ourselves to read “The Odyssey” or annotate “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” have we failed to remember the pleasure one gets from curling up with a good story? Or the pride that follows finishing a book recommended by a friend and the excitement for the discussions ahead? Or the inevitable melancholy goodbyes to our favorite characters when we close a book?
It’s time we get over ourselves, pick up a book we are actually interested in, and read.
Here is what is going down: According to a report in 2014 by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization focused on helping parents, kids and educators navigate media and technology, teenagers are spending almost nine hours a day on media, a crazy statistic considering an average of 38 minutes a day are dedicated to reading.
Needless to say, I’m guilty of this too. I recognize the embarrassingly large amount of time I’ve spent mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or viewing Snapchat stories (which are pointless, to be honest) on my phone, taking up time that could be used for about a billion better reasons.
Although I’m worthy of blame, I do occasionally pick up a good book. To me, reading can excite and inspire me, making my life feel new. Reading has been proven to be beneficial for us numerous times, but we often ignore the facts.
Reading for pleasure can provide benefits such as gaining more general knowledge, constructing an extensive vocabulary and earning higher scores on math, reading, and logical problem-solving tests, as shown by research from The New Zealand Council for Educational Research and The U.S. Department of Education. Young readers also have an improved understanding of other cultures, mature insight into human nature and stronger decision-making skills.
Putting all research aside, reading is absolutely wonderful.
Novelist William Styron once said, “A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.”
Books can take you out of our hometown to places like Hogwarts, Mordor and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; you can go from Antarctica to Italy to Mars and back again. You can go around the world without ever having to leave your bed!
You fall in love with characters, root for the underdog, empathize with the protagonist or despise the villain. Reading helps you feel. With books, you make sense of the world we are living in. You grow as a person, and you find the adventure that you have been begging for. All you have to do is find the right book.
This is how you can start: Ask a parent, friend, librarian or stranger at a coffee shop what they are reading to get suggestions. Discover what genre you like. Spend an hour at the bookstore or a library and wander through the topics. Read the book before the movie comes out. Pick up a newspaper and get acquainted with current events. Check out online articles and read farther than the headline and introductory sentence. Read the rest of this DOI issue (shameless self-promo). Adventure through books and underline sentences that speak to you. The words that fill these pages are so important, so let books become meaningful to you.
