Sorry to be yet another person who goes “social media is bad :(”, but that’s exactly what I’m about to do. Even though hatred for technology is already rampant (especially when it comes to teens using it), I hope I can bring another perspective. I want to focus on how technology, specifically phones, can change our relationship with books.
I’ve loved reading since I was old enough to do so. I’m incredibly thankful that my mom encouraged me to read a lot as a child because it grew my creativity and imagination. Growing up, I was always reading something at any given time, and I read books of all kinds. Recently, after some reflection, I realized that there is a clear division between my behavior as a reader before entering high school and after. Especially during my freshman and sophomore years, I lost part of the “obsession” I had with reading.
I’ve tried to change my habits during my junior and senior years back to what they were. Although I still read the same number of books per year, it’s mainly due to being a faster reader. When I was younger, I was always reading something or the other. Now, I’ll read a book, take a break, and pick up another book a while later.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always read books and still continue to read outside of school. However, I find myself reading only when I have an hour to spare or time on the weekends. Even if it’s consistent, it isn’t as obsessive. In middle school, I would read whenever I got the chance. I mean whenever. If I was sitting in the lobby of the dentist’s office, I had a book in my lap. If I was waiting for 2 minutes for my mom to pick me up from summer camp, I was reading. Basically, I read even if I only had seconds to spare. Today, I still use up those seconds, but it’s with my phone. The idea of bringing a book to read in the dentist’s office is actually ridiculous to me now. Why bring a book when I can scroll on my phone mindlessly? It’s cheap entertainment, but it’s quick and effective. I realized I not only gravitate toward my phone, but in some ways, I directly replaced my novels with technology. I’ve substituted one hand-held form of entertainment with another. However, the diff
erence is that books are calming and intellectually stimulating whereas my phone makes me feel worse and, frankly, bored. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way, so why do people choose cell phones over books for entertainment even if they find social media less interesting than a story? I believe we feel like they shouldn’t be. Based on how our culture views each, we go on our phones even when it’s the more boring option since we have the association that books = boring and phones = fun.
Thinking about how easily my phone has replaced books was discouraging. I don’t necessarily need to sacrifice one for the other. I’m trying to find a balance, and I encourage others to do the same. I think some reasons why we turn to our phones instead of literature are not only due to modern technology but also to our shortening attention spans (yes, I’m talking about TikTok). Sometimes, I can barely even sit through a 20-second video, let alone a 500-page classic. Besides modern media actively shortening our attention spans, I was talking to my friend, and she mentioned that she too stopped reading so much in high school. In elementary school and middle school, people encouraged us to read quite often. Children enjoy stories and reading is important for intellectual growth and emotional maturity. Elementary and middle school English teachers always had “class libraries”. However, in high school, teachers don’t push the whole “reading is fun” message as strongly since we’re mature enough to make our own choices. The only “library” at Naperville North is in the Upper Learning Commons, but the shelves are short and it’s right above where everyone eats lunch, so it’s difficult to concentrate. To be honest, I didn’t even know I could check out those books until my junior year. Although that’s probably due to my own negligence, seeing the drastic change in reading encouragement paired with new technological privileges, it’s not surprising why many may fall out of their reading habits after middle school.
Overall, it’s important to find a balance between books and technology for those who enjoy reading. I’m glad that I still read frequently outside of class, and I hope to find a strong balance between technology and my hobbies as I enter college as well.
Anyway, if anyone has any good book recommendations, let me know!