After a long, somewhat grueling day of being a college student, I know the last thing you want to hear is that you should be reading … for fun. Maybe you don’t even want to read this article … so I’ll make it quick:
Does reading for fun even exist anymore?
In the age of slim, shiny, lightweight smartphones, picking up a dusty, thick, heavy novel can feel ancient and unnatural (sad but true!). But you’re not alone. In fact, reading for pleasure has declined by over 30% since 2004. The rise of the internet, social media, and video gaming has resulted in much easier forms of entertainment than books. I mean, why read a book requiring all that time, focus, and energy when you could watch a quick YouTube video with cool music and bright pictures?
And while you may think a book has nothing on your new iPhone 11, reading actually does have some pretty great benefits. Reading increases your vocabulary (so you’ll write those English papers so much faster!). Reading can also create higher levels of brain connectivity (as in you’re smarter). And your blue-light phone may be causing you more problems than you think; conversely, reading can lower your stress levels (exhale). Oh, and you’ll also have something constructive to do when your phone dies.
Personally, I’ve found many great stories and lessons in books that I feel fortunate to have experienced, even though I wasn’t personally living through them. And I’m sure that this exposure to worlds outside of my own lifetime has developed my empathy and understanding of others.
I still don’t have you?
Well, remember that you don’t have to start reading Little Women or War and Peace by tomorrow. Start with something lighter, like a magazine. Pick up Vogue and read the captions, or grab Sports Illustrated and read a short article. Remember, this is supposed to be a fun activity, so find something that interests you and invest a few minutes of your time. And if one day you’re feeling bold, you can make the jump to Time magazine or The Economist. I actually have a subscription to The Economist, but used to not read some editions because I thought that I was “too busy.” But I’ve since taken the pressure off of myself to read the entire thing. Now I read just one article as often as possible, and I’ve been seeing it turn into more.
But if magazines aren’t really your thing, try something a little more eccentric. Read a cookbook, an art book, or a meditation guide. Read a book about how to createe anime. Read a stupid teen romance novel. Re-read the entire Harry Potter series. Read a book for ages six and up. The goal is, if you haven’t already guessed, to just read something — anything. So drop by your local bookstore or school library and stay awhile. Walk around and see how you feel … you’ll never know if you don’t go. One of the books that has had the greatest impact on me was one I found while walking through a bookstore because I thought the cover was pretty.
So if you find your own pretty cover somehwere and want to hunker down and read … an actual book (dun dun DUN), I suggest creating a nice space before starting. I like to get comfortable, go somewhere quiet, make some tea, you know, the usual “bookish” stuff. I’ve found that doing so gives me positive memories associated with reading, and it has become something I look forward to repeating.
But remember that not every book is going to hit home with you. And you’re not a bad reader just because you don’t like whatever you’re reading. I’ve picked up some books (even national bestsellers) and after about 20 minutes had to put them down. But there’s no shortage of writers, so keep trying and you’ll find the one (and that’s a promise).
So try to pick up something today — or maybe just pledge to fully finish reading a Buzzfeed article instead of skimming through next time. And spoiler alert: if you’ve made it to this point in reading this article — you’ve actually just started! So congrats on reviving your non-academic relationship with reading. I hope you two are very happy together.