I am no exception to the current trend of less book-reading for more internet reading. When I got my first smartphone years ago, I started spending less and less time reading ink-on-paper, and more time reading words-on-screen. I told myself I read less because I was busier. I was in high school and I had more responsibilities, activities and homework. But as I sit here on my summer break from college, off from work, I wonder if that's really the case.
When I was younger, I would read all the time. I would go through several novels in one summer. I read to kill time, I read before bed, I read to stimulate my imagination, I read to enter into a different world for a few hours and I read to inspire myself to write.
Now, I read, and I read often, but I read electronically. I read short articles like the one I'm writing. I read tweets and I read Facebook statuses. I browse on the Internet for much longer than I care to admit. It doesn't give me the satisfaction that I get from a novel, though.
I've recently been kicking myself to read more. As a future teacher of English and literature, I long to share with my students the joy of literature. I want them to see the benefits of reading a book. From a book, you can learn so much. You can learn life lessons, new words and concepts and a different perspective or way of thinking. Further, you can learn to write eloquently and take some time to dive into your own imagination.
When I open a book today, I wonder why I don't do it more often. I love to get lost in a world that isn't my own. I can escape from my own problems while I read. When I read, I fall in love with the characters and make new friends.
I'm not condemning reading on the Internet. Many people argue that time on the Internet actually increases literacy of our younger generations because they are still spending time reading–that is certainly possible. But I think it's important to remember that reading a book is worthwhile. Pick up anything you like. Read a classic. Read Young Adult Fiction. Read a romance novel. Read survival or war stories. Read on an e-reader. Read ink-on-paper. Just don't forget about the joy of getting lost in a book.
