Since I announced that I would be majoring in English literature in college, I've received nearly every response in the book, ranging from "What are you going to do with that?" to "So you just sit around and read books all day?" and even to "Don't you mean you'll be majoring in waitressing?"

And the fact of the matter is that while I won't ever be making as much money as the doctor or the engineer, that doesn't mean that my major is any less necessary. And a lot of it has to do with today's obsession with behind-the-screen living. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of social media and iPhones as much of the next girl, and it's not like I'm going to stop using those mediums of communication, but they do change the way we live our daily lives.

I've often referred to our generation as the generation of words, which I think is especially relevant to my line of work. Because you see, we now more than ever have a focus on the effect that the things we say will have on others, and if that is the case, why wouldn't we need people who devote their collegiate studies to studying that exact thing?

The first mistake that people make when judging my chosen career path is to assume that books are just books and that fiction is only fiction. In fact, these are some of the oldest and most widespread reflections of our society throughout time and show us more about ourselves than we would often care to admit.

For example, let's take a book that I read earlier this year: "Before Women Had Wings" by Connie May Fowler. Without giving too much away, this book centers on two sisters who survive and manage to exhibit silent strength despite the death of their father, the abuse of their mother and paralyzing poverty. And while one could argue that these paperback pages are nothing more than that, in reality, Fowler teaches us that even in the most impossible of circumstances, the human spirit can succeed and triumph. Furthermore, it reminds us to love our fellow human beings because we never really know what someone is going through.

And this is just one example: We readers and analyzers of the words between the lines are the general public's connection to history and culture and tragedy that will inevitably repeat itself someday. And that will never be unnecessary. And that should never be described as "sitting around all day."

So, to those that don't understand why my major is important, on a practical note: I am being trained to communicate with my peers and colleagues in a world where it is becoming increasingly rare for people to make eye contact and know how to give a proper handshake. I can read, write, analyze data and present my ideas creatively and clearly. I can organize reports, and I can explain technical and complex information in a straightforward and easy way for those who don't possess the necessary technical jargon to understand that information as presented to them.

But, in an even more essential way: Our society is founded on words. From the constitution to the Latin alphabet, there is nothing that more connects people around the world than language. I am being trained to choose my words clearly and with purpose; the same methods that go into my papers are those that make diplomatic conventions successful and can stop wars in their tracks. I can see in our past why certain events occurred from the books that are mirror images of the societies and times they were produced in, and I can even begin to right the wrongs of slurs and hateful names by no longer allowing those words to be used to hurt our fellow humans. And this is something that should be celebrated and not rejected or regarded as inferior.

So next time you want to crack your joke about my future unemployment, please take a moment to pause and think of all the things you would no longer be able to do or convey if you didn't know how to use the human language and realize that maybe, just maybe, my field is more important than you thought.