Alessia Korvessis | The Chronicle
In a time where technology is so prominent in our everyday lives, it can be easy to forget about books.
During classes, I often see kids with their heads bent: not over books, but screens. Entertainment that used to come in the form of an interesting story has now been replaced with endless scrolling, or the next trending movie or show. Many books even have movie adaptations, such as Where the Crawdads Sing and The Help. But those movies don’t have the same depth, detail, or emotional impact as their books do. When a story is condensed to fit a two-hour runtime, many readers miss the true meaning that the author was trying to convey. A book allows you to enter the characters’ minds, understand their motivations and imagine their world in your own way.
One of the main reasons I think teens do not like to read is due to how books were introduced to us in elementary school. I remember being handed a reading log and my teacher telling me to read 20 minutes every single night. It did not matter if I was tired, busy, or simply not in the mood. It was expected of me, and so I forced myself to read. Instead of books feeling like an escape or something to look forward to, they became another chore to check off, like doing math homework or cleaning my room. This gave reading a negative connotation for my classmates and me and as a result, I did not enjoy reading again until my freshman year of high school. I know I am not alone in this experience; a lot of my friends have said the same thing. But, as soon as I found a good book I really enjoyed, it helped me to get back into reading again.
Reading is not just important because of its entertainment value. It also plays a role in how your brain develops and creates good habits. Reading is good for your vocabulary, attention span and brain development; all things that can make school easier and more enjoyable for students.
Aside from the technical reasons that reading is good for you, books pass down lessons, histories and perspectives that might never come up in a TikTok feed or even in a classroom. Classic books such as 1984 by George Orwell and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee cover important topics such as resisting oppression and social injustice, which are still very relevant issues in today’s world. Young people need to know these stories so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of people in the past. Books teach some lessons that other types of media can not. For example, when I had to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in English, I learned how important books are to society.
Additionally, one of the main themes in Fahrenheit 451 is censorship. Unlike social media posts, books can not just be wiped away and taken down immediately. Their stories often last centuries, and I would argue that they not only resist censorship but also expose it. Books like Animal Farm by George Orwell and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood cover sensitive topics like corrupt government, propaganda, and inequality. Books like these preserve the voices of minority groups and help bring awareness to them.
Reading also requires you to commit to something until it is done. It takes discipline to switch from short 15-second videos to a 400-page novel, which is a huge factor in causing teens to avoid reading. I often try to watch a long movie, but I cannot focus because scrolling through Instagram Reels and TikTok has decreased my attention span. But, since I got back into reading, my attention span has gotten better. I love a good movie and doomscrolling on TikTok, but what is important is balancing the two.
In the end, reading offers something that no screen, app, or movie can replace: the chance to slow down and think deeply. While technology will always be a part of our lives, books give us a space to reflect and grow in ways that quick entertainment never will. In a world that is always moving fast, reading is a way to slow down, and teens should take that opportunity more often.
