Our generation, as a whole, seems to not be too keen on reading books, or reading anything in general. Since we were little, we’ve been forced to read certain books for middle school and high school requirements, and we knew we would be tested on these books. Because of this, reading has always felt like a chore to most of us, and only a select few of us actually enjoy reading for pleasure now. Books and textbooks are starting to be considered old-fashioned, and everything is being moved to electronic versions, like Kindles and online textbooks. For these reasons, our generation never really caught on to the importance of reading a book. In my opinion, reading is something everyone and anyone can enjoy, and the only reason most of us think we don’t like it is because of the way we’ve been forced to read in school.
Most of us read "Lord of the Flies" and "To Kill A Mockingbird" in our high school years. At the time, I hated both of them because each night I was forced to read 20 or so pages, and if I didn’t, my grade would suffer in one way or another. Reading was part of my homework, and let’s be real, all of us hated homework. However, looking back on it, both of those books were actually incredible novels and I think I really would’ve enjoyed them if I could’ve read them on my own time. The only reason I didn’t like them is because I had to read them.
I’ve always been one of the few that enjoys pleasure reading outside of assigned texts, and I’ve read countless books over the years that I’ve fallen in love with. I know, however, that not everyone is like that, and most of us feel like we have to force ourselves to read, so of course we don’t do it by choice.
Another common objection is that watching movies or TV is just a more relaxing way to experience the same story. And although I understand that, because I love watching movies as well, I think there’s something much more real about reading a story on the pages of a book rather than seeing it on the screen. Obviously it takes hours upon hours to finish a book, while it only takes one or two to finish a movie, but books include so many more details and the story can progress at a slower rate, adding to the buildup of the climax. Movies are usually forced to cut out all of these details for timing purposes.
A lot of teenagers think reading is just not for them and they don’t enjoy it. I think that reading can be for everyone if you just find the right book. Once you’re invested in a story, you don’t even realize you’re reading anymore and it just feels like you’re experiencing the story, in the same way you do while watching a movie.
The amount of knowledge you can acquire from books is endless. Even fictional novels incorporate life lessons and make you think. Reading is something that will never stop making me reflect on my life and the world we live in, in so many different ways, and I don’t think that type of reflection and learning can come from movies or TV shows in the same way. The importance of reading may not be obvious to everyone, but once you see how beneficial and rewarding it can be, I think most people will realize it’s actually enjoyable. I strongly encourage everyone to try and find a book they think they’ll be interested in, and to give it a try. You may end up enjoying it more than you would have thought.
