Before I worked at my family’s bookstore, Main Street Books, I constantly heard the phrase ‘No one reads anymore’, which made me think that I was weird or different because I liked to read. Once I got the job and saw how many people actually read, I was amazed. We constantly had people coming in wanting a new book, or even better, they wanted to start reading again. I was amazed. I would always get asked for recommendations or tips on how to get back into reading. I figured more people would be reading in school this year with the phone regulations, but I never saw it. Over the years, I’ve come to realize reading is way more than just following a story; it teaches you morals, logic and gives you almost a sense of placelessness. When reading a book, you are transformed into a story where you can learn crucial life lessons.
Librarian Robin Heimburger agrees that reading impacts students positively, especially in school. When looking at students who constantly read, she can see a difference in their academic performance.
“I do think avid readers are going to have a better vocabulary, because even if you listen to books only, you’ll hear more words and have a better concept. It can help you focus, and I think people that read have more stamina, because you have to sit and read for long periods of time,” Heimburger said.
Typically, when you read books with advanced word choice and more complex sentence structures, you tend to adapt these skills into your everyday life. Even when you read sophisticated words you might not hear every day, your word choice broadens.
In English class, most teachers assign books like “The Great Gatsby” or “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Yes, these stories might be fictitious or even boring to some, but when you read to see the bigger picture, you might end up learning something unexpectedly. In “The Great Gatsby,” you might learn not to let money take over your life; in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” you might learn to avoid judging a book by its cover.
Junior Rachel Christensen, who can always be seen with a book, feels reading a book can transport you into another world or another life. When doing so, it might make you feel a sense of distraction from a job, schoolwork, or tough times.
“I think reading is important because…it helps distract you from everyday life. So if you’re going through tough times or you need an escape, reading is always there to take you into a different world,” Christensen said.
Reading helps an audience touch on different perspectives, feel new emotions and connect with different people. Spanish teacher and bibliophile Jennifer Miller, who reads close to 100 books per year, sees a difference in students who read or lack thereof.
“The more you read, the more empathy you develop for people from other cultures and other lifestyles and other time periods. I believe it expands your vocabulary, and it really develops your imagination… where you can picture what’s going on in your mind. But I think the most important part is empathy,” Miller said.
When reading, you have to understand another narrative with hardships that differ from your own, or you might encounter a similar situation you might be in. When placed in someone else’s shoes, you can feel their problems and understand how to solve them. Reading enhances these skills with conflicts, motivations and emotions beyond the story.
When it comes down to it, more people should be reading. Reading has had such a big impact on my life, and it has a big place in my heart, especially since it’s involved and incorporated into my entire life. So when I hear people say ‘no one is reading anymore’, it really upsets me because it undermines people who read, it discredits them and overlooks their strengths. When you read, you learn to escape into a book; you can travel away from school, work, family and overall stress. Everyone should read; there’s no downside, only upside. There is an infinite variety of books out there, so everyone can find a book for themself.
All in all, when I hear that phrase, I know it’s not true. It’s clearly a misconception, because every customer who has walked into the bookstore and asked for a recommendation has reminded me that reading builds connections. The thing that made me feel different is now a thing I can take pride in.
