I have seen TV shows, movies, and other forms of media revere "The Girl Who Reads" as much as "The Boy Who Lived" is revered in the wizarding world.
Sorry to break it to you, but lots of girls read.
Reading has exceedingly been seen as this activity that only a special few take part in. While it is true that people are reading less and less, this does not make those who do brilliant and intelligent and flawless. We live in a world full of subtlety and nuance, and it hurts to see the media slap us in the face with this "girl who reads" trope, and to see us, as an audience, just eat it up. More and more people are reading just to appear smarter than those who don't, but this is such a black-and-white way of approaching reading that it's ridiculous.
Sure, reading is great. It was been proven to improve memory, expand vocabulary, increase attention span, and reduce stress. Do these things mean a person is smarter? There are an infinite number of factors at play here, including the type of book you read, the manner in which you choose to read, and what you aim to get out of the reading experience. This false dichotomy has been created with the extroverted girl who hangs out with friends, spends lots of money on clothes and makeup, and loves to be in the center of attention, and the introverted girl who just stays in her room, sips tea, and read books. Almost 100% of the time, the latter is idolized. The girl who reads is seen as "special" and "different," and therefore is placed on a pedestal and seen as part of some elite group of people.
This sort of thinking is harmful not only to the people making these judgement, since they aren't seeing people as unique individuals anymore, but also those who read in order to get a sense of superiority.
"You like to shop? Well, I read," she says, with an air of prestige.
Imagine if watching TV was thought of as reading is. Imagine if simply watching TV, regardless of which show you watched or how much attention you paid to the show, made you seem smarter than others who do not watch TV. See how ridiculous that sounds? Granted, TV doesn't provide the benefits that reading does, but if you aren't even paying attention to what you're reading, how do you expect to improve?
Many argue that the reason people read isn't important, and simply the fact that they are is good enough. I strongly disagree. If you read with the intent to gain some sort of false superiority, you will not appreciate what you are reading for what it is, and you will be missing out.
My message to you is read, please read. Read to improve yourself. Read books you truly enjoy, regardless of what others say about them, shamelessly read these books. Read to satisfy yourself, not to show off. Then you will reap its benefits.
