Riverdale Discusses the Importance of Reading
As we dive deeper and deeper into the digital era, where most people spend over half of their waking hours looking at screens, we are losing the art of reading. Many high schoolers barely remember the time they last opened a physical book and read for fun. After all, why would someone sit for hours looking at boring black and white ink when they could be playing video games, watching Netflix and Youtube, or scrolling through far more stimulating social media feeds? Additionally, students often view reading as “work” or something they just have to do, which sucks out any intrinsic motivation to read “for fun.”
Students are often too busy with schoolwork or distracted by technology to reap the benefits of reading.
Reading can help us understand the world and others’ different viewpoints on it. Sophomore Nathaniel Ascher says that “reading helps me comprehend topics I don’t have a great understanding in and also exposes me to new vocabulary.” With books and biographies, we can learn about issues that we wouldn’t normally come across in our everyday lives. To impact the world, we must understand other’s experiences and make sure to not think our life experiences are the only ones out there. Experiencing others’ successes and learning about new ideas can be rewarding, and can positively influence our perception of the world.
Both non-fiction and fiction increase our empathy for others. Dr. Aschkenes mentions that “there is a whole field of ‘neuroaesthetics,’ which looks at the neurological experience of reading by conducting FMRI testing while people sit and read. These researchers say they can observe reactions of empathy in the brain and body during reading.” By watching how characters react to each other in different scenes, we can understand each person better which translates to a greater understanding and empathy for people in our lives. Nathaniel Ascher says that “by reading fiction, you can see what others think is the best thing to do and then base your decisions off that.” These “fake scenarios” that the author sets up in stories can impact how you react to what people say or do in your life and can guide you to do the right thing. Ms. Ross, the Upper and Middle School librarian thinks that this is even truer in nonfiction and says “for me, the greatest benefit of reading has always been seeing how someone has made a decision and how that has affected their life.” Absorbing information from biographies or autobiographies of successful people will stop you from making their mistakes and teach you crucial decisions they made that lead to their successes. Reading can affect how you make the most important decisions of your life, whether it is relationship-centered or business-focused.
Yet another reason why you should read is that it makes you a better communicator and thinker. Dr. Aschkenes adds that “simply reading more—having the sound of good writing in your mind when you write— helps tremendously with your work; reading improves spelling, grammar, structure, and clarity.” Being exposed to great ideas is already incredible, but you also learn how these authors think and express their ideas. Picking up on sound logic and excellent writing can improve the quality of your analysis and in turn allow you to write and speak more effectively. Mr. Weil teaches that “writing is thinking” and reading improves both of these skills.
Reading is one of the best uses of your time. One simple thing that you can do is use the school library to your advantage. Ms. Ross says that “the library is an excellent resource that many students don’t take full advantage of. If you ever want a book, you can ask one of us[librarians] and we will buy it for the library.” Books are far superior to other reading because of the sheer thought and time put into them. While a video or a news article might take weeks or even months to produce, books often take years and sometimes decades to publish. I would recommend trying to read just one book every month to reap some of the amazing benefits that reading has to offer.