Everyone Should Read Books
Look, I get it. After reading countless difficult texts for several classes, reading more probably doesn’t sound very appealing. For many students, reading is synonymous with classwork, rather than something to unwind. Reading for fun, then, is driven to the background of things to do after a day of studying. Still, I would encourage everyone to pick up a book every once in a while. There are so many benefits to reading for fun; there are a lot of ways to do it, you don’t have to be good at it, and it’s such a great way to discover new stories.
One of the biggest annoyances I have from corona and sitting at home all week, is that I have realized how much time I spend behind a screen: after working or studying all day, I would grab my phone and mindlessly scroll on Instagram or TikTok. It kind of felt like I was killing time while waiting on something, but this is just how I spend a lot of my evenings. I have always loved reading, but when I started American Studies in 2018, I stopped for the most part because I was overwhelmed with classwork. In September of 2020 I started again, and while I can’t deny I still spend a lot of time on my phone, reading a book really helps me break that endless scroll sometimes.
Anytime and anywhere
The great thing about reading is that it can be done in a lot of different ways. Of course, there is the physical book, but that can become inconvenient to take with you – though I love buying new books because my goal is to one day have a home library. Then there is the eBook, which you can either read on an e-reader or on your phone. This already makes it much easier to pick up a book when waiting on an appointment, sitting at home, traveling, or at the beach on vacation.Lastly, which is probably my favorite way to read, especially when school is super busy, is the audiobook. There are SO many Netflix-like services that offer audiobooks for a relatively low price. My favorite is Scribd (which also includes eBooks) because it has a huge selection. The audiobook is of course also the best option for people who don’t want to stare at words on a page. You can do it while doing other things, such as working out, cleaning the house, or, like, doing a puzzle. Audiobooks make consuming books so accessible.
Once upon a time…
If you love watching movies or shows, then reading would be an amazing activity for you. The number of books that are available continues to surprise me. There are just so many different types of books that everyone is bound to find a favorite genre to read.
Of course, watching movies, playing video games, or watching TikToks is all great, I do it too. But if you are ever looking for something offline to do, definitely consider a book. There are so many new stories, worlds, planets, and characters out there that you’ll absolutely love.