Are books as important to youth as we think?
Did you enjoy reading when you were young? Let me explain why. I'm sure that at least half of the readers of this have remarked something along the lines of, "I never read as a child."
Kids and teenagers used to dislike reading quite a bit because it was regarded as a mandatory subject in school; they started to see reading as a chore rather than a pastime. However, young adult fiction has recently improved in children's relatability, which has raised their interest in reading. This is seen in March 2023, when 50.7% of children between the ages of eight to 18 read printed fiction. Despite the fact that reading is essential for English Literature, many young people today love reading a variety of genres.
Recent trends show a huge increase in reading, which is excellent news for young adults' futures. These advantages can include enhanced writing and comprehension abilities, a larger vocabulary, or simply a general gain in knowledge. These benefits can help young adults in their academic endeavours and in their quest to be regarded as well-read at work. Print book sales, however, were historically exceedingly low, with figures as low as 648 million in 2004. This number did increase to 778 million in 2008, but it quickly dropped to 591 million in 2012. Unexpectedly, the numbers increased from 2013 to 2021, and today 66 million print books are sold each month. This increase in print book sales demonstrates how much more popular books have grown over time.
However, the numbers fell again in 2022, to 789 million. According to some, this could be because online books are becoming more popular as a result of people's increased awareness of global warming and the need to save forests. The surroundings and the reading of younger children who are now accustomed to computers may benefit from this development.
With the help of a survey of 18,000 young people, Christina Clark discovered that those who enjoy reading for pleasure are six times more likely than those who don't to read beyond what is expected for their age. However, it has been found that those who dismiss reading for enjoyment are 11 times more likely to read below the level that is considered appropriate for their age. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found in 2002 that a child's enjoyment of reading was considerably more crucial to their education than their family's social standing, which is determined by money.
In order to better understand young adults' reading habits, I interviewed a diverse group of students ranging from year 10 to year 13, to demonstrate how reading might affect your future. The majority of my research samples supported my claim, for example, one student enjoys reading Sci-Fi and Psychological horrors: they study Physics, Biology, and Psychology with the goal of becoming scientists or psychologists. This case demonstrates how reading can influence someone's educational decisions. Another example is a student who studies Media Studies, Sociology, and Politics in the hopes of becoming a Journalist. Another student I questioned claims they prefer Horror and Sci-Fi literature as a result of seeing a lot of Sci-Fi movies: they study Musical performance in the hopes of composing music inspired by Sci-Fi movie music. Most of the individuals I interviewed indicated that the subjects they chose corresponded to the books they read, therefore having an impact on their future.
Many claim that the popularity of books began with just a few works of literature that practically everyone is familiar with; you may have heard of them just from studying them in school as a required topic. These books have now been replaced by others of the same calibre, but they are set in contemporary society rather than in the past. To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Dracula, Frankenstein, Romeo & Juliet, and many other works of literature are examples of popular books. Nowadays, books like The Silent Patient, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Institute, The Woman in the Window, The Thursday Murder Club, and others pique the interest of teenagers and young readers.
Hopefully, now that you understand how books can affect youth, you will begin reading again; after all, you did read the entire article.
