If you read just one page a day, you could complete the average length book in around a year. This would put you ahead of the average American adult, as According to the national literacy institute, “44% of the American adults do not read a book in a year.”
Whether reading is done through school, or on personal time it is extremely important that everyone reads.
For me, reading has always continued far outside of school assignments,and required reading. Literature has become such an important part of my life that I cannot understand why anyone would purposefully avoid reading.
It’s incredibly disappointing to hear others my age proudly proclaim that they haven’t read a full book without the use of sparknotes or an AI summary, because as I see it, anytime you have the option to read a book, you have the choice to make yourself a more tolerant, understanding and empathetic person. Just by reading you have the ability to see into lifestyles, cultures and places you may never experience any other way.
What I really struggle to understand is why do non-readers at least read for the sake of increasing their vocabulary and comprehension skills? The ability to comprehend information is a vital skill in everyday life and learning and practicing new words can vastly improve critical thinking.
Furthermore, reading increases your overall ability to communicate effectively. According to Southern Oregon University, “ literacy skills can open many doors and encourage other skills such as critical thinking, communication, understanding of complex issues and an appreciation for reading,”
Of course, there is the excuse of not being able to find the time in the day to read, however BrownHealth University reports that the average screen time of teens is six hours and 40 minutes. With so much time spent on phones it should be easy to fit in 30 minutes of reading a day.
Reading is essential to growing both intellectually and socially. When you read about stories from across the world, fiction or not, you learn about unique experiences, cultural differences, and all different lives. When you pick up a book, you are choosing to become better.
