In the U.S., 54% of adults have a reading level of below sixth-grade and 64% of fourth graders do not read proficiently. A study conducted by the National Literacy Institute displays the lack of literacy in the country, which is concerning. While there isn’t a specific cause to pinpoint, this decline of literacy rates can be attributed to socioeconomic disparities, outdated teaching methods, and screen time distractions.
Many schools fail to teach foundational phonics to young children properly. This leads to a failed implementation of understanding pronunciation in kids. In our generation, there’s an increased use of screen time which shifts where kids get entertainment from as well.
Digital devices hold many stimulating pieces of entertainment that are easily accessible, like games, videos, and movies. This puts technology at the top spot for media consumption among people which decreases time put into other activities such as reading.
The data shown of reading levels is telling that improving U.S. literacy rates would be better for a more educated nation and reading can help with that. In books, new words are introduced to readers which can expand vocabulary and strengthen cognitive processes.
Reading is also found to improve emotional intelligence because it gives new perspectives of people in different situations around the world. Usually in stories, characters make mistakes, there’s character development, and there’s a lesson that can be learned by the reader. This strengthens critical thinking skills as it improves people’s abilities to think about something from another point of view.
It’s common amongst people to use their phones before they sleep and that messes up the body’s circadian rhythm. Instead of being on a phone or watching TV, reading before bed actively stimulates the brain and improves relaxation while sleeping.
With constant emails, notifications, and digital distractions, attention spans amongst people have significantly decreased. To combat this, reading helps because it improves memory since it allows people to focus on one thing at a time.
Picking up a new hobby that is educational while entertaining is a great habit to have in life. Fostering a love for reading is enjoyable in itself as well. Books are found to stimulate different parts of the brain which are usually not used in our modern world with phones and various devices.
To motivate readers, it’s important to find the type of books that are interesting to each individual. To find good books, looking online or asking friends and family for recommendations can help. Many people think of reading as a chore, or just something that is required in school, but it can actually be something fun and beneficial.
