by Isaiah Yolkut
You turn the page, and your imagination springs to life. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? In books, you can find a land of endless stories from beyond this world. You can prance through fields of golden wheat, attack a cruel dragon, and save a princess. Then, you hear your phone ding. You close the book.. The story is over, even if the book is not. The screen draws the eyes of the formerly engrossed reader to social media. The book lies on the ground, abandoned, an adventure left unfinished. Unfortunately, teens across America have rejected books, and with that, they’ve lost out on possibilities to enrich themselves that cannot be replicated simply by using smartphones.
Since the late 1990s, when the supposed technological wonder was invented, teens have left their books on the shelves to gather dust. Teens have abandoned a friend, they have closed a door, and they have silenced a helpful voice. Young people have felt bored by the crisp pages and instead have turned to videos and games on their devices, despite the fact that reading benefits adolescents in many ways. One of these ways is that it develops empathy in the reader. Many studies show that by reading, students have analyzed what they read and connected it to their personal lives. One study, done by two professors at Harvard Business School in 2021, challenged students to read fiction and, afterward, reflect on how it made them feel. A student noted, “The story is designed to make us feel ‘guilt and discomfort’ because, even though we’ve never abandoned a man in a well, we have all looked the other way.” They admit that ‘it’s not right.’ Immersion in fiction is very beneficial to readers, as it gives examples that the reader can connect to, leading all readers, like the student, to recognize the significance of moral obligations in society. Another student in this class remarked, “We do this all the time. ‘We,’ as in humanity (and myself) ‘do this’—we ignore people who are clearly suffering.” This statement demonstrates that this student not only thought about how it connected to herself but the world as a whole. It is so important for students to have the skill of empathy. Especially at this point, a period in which terrorism, humanitarian crises, and cruel wars plague the human race, empathy in young people is in high demand because of these tragedies. Often the tendency is for individuals to adopt a closed mind towards those who hold different ideas and perspectives from them, leading to a lack of tolerance that can escalate into violent conflict and a lack of empathy. This is unacceptable. There are so many other issues that need to be dealt with and through empathy, teens, the leaders of tomorrow, can end these disasters. But, teens have instead gone to their phones over books, leading to a significant drop in their empathy and other emotions that could and should have been cultivated by reading.
Now, phones are among the most innovative inventions of our time. Every year, they get more and more advanced, and in turn, more helpful. I adore my iPhone 14. I have had it for half a year now and it has entertained me and improved my productivity. I have my calendar on my phone and use it to communicate with friends and family, read new articles such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, and listen to podcasts, such as The Unplanned Podcast and the Broadway Podcast. These things bring me so much joy.
A huge problem with teens in America is social media addiction. This is a huge problem with teens in America. Some apps, such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, use short-form, mindless videos to capture teens’ attention, enticing them to spend hours scrolling away. Other apps, such as Snapchat, make messages and photos go away after a short amount of time, making teens feel like they have to look at the app before it goes away. These short-form, limited-time videos drop teens’ attention spans, making reading a boring, timely activity for teens.
Another merit of reading is that it improves students’ skills. As a student, I am always looking for things that can help me improve my vocabulary, writing skills, and analysis skills, and reading fiction is a great way to do this. By reading fiction, students can become absorbed in the story, notice the words that they are reading, and want to think about what they are reading and the impact on them. A 2011 study explored what reading did to students and their skills. An avid reader, Marie, remarked, “The more I read, the more words I understand […] I do better in English. When I was younger I didn’t have a very big vocabulary”. From reading, Marie was able to do better in her classes and improve her vocabulary from when she was younger. Having these skills is also really important in the modern day because there are so many issues, such as the cures of diseases, climate change, and good access to food and water for all that need solutions, and it is up to this generation to help figure them out.
Reading is also an important skill not just in an English class, but in most secular studies students participate in. One study in 2016 even showed that “students who choose to read for fun performed better in all subjects, including STEM subjects.” One of the most important things about teens reading is that the book is not forced upon them and that they read for fun. If not, they might find it boring and give up on the story, losing the opportunity to gain knowledge.
This anti-reading teen epidemic may seem hopeless, but it is not. Some teens, like me, have established a period during the day where they shut their electronics down, and simply take the time to read. But, even though this certainly helps a few people, more is needed to solve this global issue. Additionally, some organizations have taken steps to solve this issue. Some programs created support teen reading and suggested books and topics for teens to explore. Libraries plan special times for teens to socialize about books, and create welcoming teen sections of the library for books of all genres and types. Well, why does this matter? Why should you care if the next generation of political, economic, and social leaders enter their lives mindless and uneducated? Think about it. Teens can’t simply have the solutions handed to them. They need to see the benefits of reading and understand why these benefits will shape their lives not only now, but in the future for them and the world. If teens do not take charge of this dilemma, they will enter into the rest of their lives in a less-educated, less-empathetic way, leaving the book closed. But, if they choose the book over the “almighty screen” they make a choice for themselves that may impact them in ways that they do not even know. Teens may close the book they are reading, but this has to be put to an end before their books of opportunity close as well.
