I always thought those brightly colored posters about how "Reading is Fun!" or "Reading is Good for You!" in elementary school were corny and stupid. I'd rather go out and play hide-and-go-seek or jump rope with my friends after school - not read Junie B. Jones and write a report on it.

Unfortunately, adults don't have the same, creative minds we did when we were kids. We don't go outside and play hopscotch or pretend we are princesses and knights. Financial worries, cooking dinner, yada yada yada pulse in our brains daily - and our way to escape that is through social media.

The phone. The laptop. The tablet. Whatever. That's what we turn to.

Well, sure, we grew up. And as we grew up, technology grew, too - and fast. And the unhealthy amount that we are all consuming is making us miserable. But isn't the opposite supposed to happen? Don't we use social media and technology to escape our daily pressures of living a normal adult life? Isn't it supposed to be an escape from thinking about doing laundry? Or perhaps a reward for thoroughly cleaning the bathroom.

You may not notice, but social media puts pressure on us, just like our everyday adult tasks. It doesn't give your mind fresh perspectives or new stories — it gives a vicious cycle of worry: worrying about how you look compared to @katesmith2 or worrying if you're as happy as @xolivelaughlove.

Let me just say, skimming 1,000 captions and statuses won't give you as much satisfaction and joy as only one page in a suspense novel. Or a romance novel. Or whatever novel.

I just finished The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena, and I cannot stop thinking about the last line in the book. It was truly the icing on the suspense novel cake after such a bone-chilling plot. I swear, I've asked every person I've talked to these past two weeks if they've read it. It's triggered so many ideas in my head that I can't just selfishly keep to myself.

To be honest, I'm pretty envious of authors that can twist a plot every which way with each page turn. But in a fascinated, inspired way, unlike the jealous pang, I feel when scrolling through my Instagram feed. I wish I could create a plot and execute it the way these incredible authors do. It's pretty badass, ya know? The way they make the audience fall in love with their characters, the plot, the story.

Remember how you felt when you finished the Twilight or Harry Potter or Hunger Games Series? Even if you just did it to fit in? I remember being in sixth grade and being able to talk to almost anyone about Bella and Edward's corny love story. I felt like I could relate to many of my acquaintances that I never could relate to before. Sharing ideas about books gives people a common interest - even with those you'd never think you could relate to, and that's a really powerful thing.

So next time you're scrolling through social media, log onto Amazon.com instead and purchase some cheap, used books. Heck, start a book club. I don't know. Reading for pleasure is more impactful than you may think. With that being said, if anyone's read Good As Gone by Amy Gentry, let me know. I'm dying to share ideas about it!