(Obviously that may not be the case, however, 54% of adult Americans do!)
Humanity; a collection of intelligent minds working together to install innovation into an ever evolving world. A world that, whilst grand and alluring, is incredibly rapid. The constant change may be an overall indifference to the newer generations, however, it was only 16 years ago that the iPhone was first invented and distributed. A product that was foretold to fail, set the new medium for easy-access technology, and within just 16 years, the world has invented countless models of phones, new forms of transportation, and even a lightsaber! (That’s not a joke) Change, no matter how positive, will always have an unfortunate impact upon another material. The material in question is the educational–sometimes controversial–pieces of literature known as books.
Now, books have become more of an obscurity within education ever since three factors put themself out onto the scene: New technology with easier access to digital media, more students having a lower reading level, and the time lost during COVID. All three issues make it so books become less and less of a necessity among teachers. Why implement reading again if what schools have now works? The most annoying part of the issue is not books fading into obscurity, it’s the world doing very little about it. A little inside scoop on official newspapers around the world; most newspapers have to be readable at a 7th grade reading level. While a little insulting, it’s understandable why it’s necessary. Excluding people who may not be great readers would be bad business.
Of course, being without textbooks in schools is the second best thing in the universe, however, this reduces the amount of reading that students would naturally do. The lack of reading is one of the many causes as to why students begin to have a declined reading level. Declined level of reading can turn to slow reading, and when a student does have to read, they may find it difficult to get it done efficiently. All of these factors turn to overall apathy or distaste toward reading.
Is excluding books due to people being unwilling to read a good thing? Obviously, no. As Mather Hospital states, “It (reading) can improve brain and memory function and keep your brain operating more effectively as you age. Reading also enhances connectivity in the brain, reduces stress, promotes relaxation, improves sleep, and has the potential to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s.”
Of course, the argument, “you can just read on a screen” presents itself as the most highly form of a counterargument. To disregard that, let’s be educated of the wondrous annoyance that is ‘artificial blue light’. Artificial blue light is the main source of light that comes from any screen in existence, and it being artificial is bad for your brain. Humans, like animals, use the sky to signify when they should be awake and when they should sleep. Seeing the blue light that your screen emits can trick your brain, making it harder to sleep. Also, blue light can damage your retinal cells which causes long term vision problems. (A word for the wise, most devices have a night light mode which can limit the amount of blue light that your screen can emit, try using it)
Are devices horrible pieces of technology that will destroy the world? Obviously, that’s not until later on. Nowadays we should entirely embrace the ease that technology has brought to us, but remember to pick up a book every once in a while. Any book could help, novel, comic, or even kids books. It is as Virginia Wolf stated, “Books are the mirror to the soul”.
Cite used:
Mather Hospital – Your Brain on Books
