Treat Your Shelf

No one reads anymore!

While a common grievance—best delivered with a world-weary shake of the head—it’s not an entirely true one. Even though our current digital age is often heralded as the death of the written word, we’ve spent the past 30 years reading more than ever, even if what we’re reading looks different. Every day, we absorb countless texts and emails. We scan social media, the news, and online articles. Billions of words are finding their way into our eyeballs whether we realize how much we’re reading or not.

But what about curling up with a good book?

Nearly 1 million books were published in 2020. Did you read any of them? Did you read any books at all? If the answer was no, you’re not alone. Nearly a quarter of American adults (23%) say they haven’t read a book in the past year, whether in print, electronic, or audio form, according to the most recent Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults about their reading habits published in January 2022.

Why? Many adults report that they either don’t have enough time or simply “don’t like reading.” Reading is often associated with a tedious chore, something that you were forced to do in school. If you’ve recently finished your degree, picking up a long book is probably the last thing you want to do! Reading a book also takes the privileged commodities of education and leisure. If you grew up with books in the house and saw your parents reading, chances are you’ll stay a reader into adulthood. A deeper look at the Pew study shows that household income and a lower level of educational attainment correlate to fewer books read, meaning that if all your time is spent keeping your family afloat, reading the latest issue of The Paris Review is probably not on your priority list. Even so, the number of adults who report reading for personal interest has dropped across the entire economic spectrum over the years.

Experts posit this points to an overall lack of free time and increase in screen time, a theory borne out by data from Publishers Weekly that reports book sales rose by 9% in 2020, a year when the pandemic was at its height, resulting in a lot more unscheduled time for many Americans.

Quarantine-related “vacation” notwithstanding, if we’re all chronically busy and bleary-eyed, why spend our precious time reading books at all?

One of the main benefits of reading for your own enjoyment is inherent in the time itself. Reading is self-care. It’s dedicating a time and place for yourself that’s quiet and without distractions. There’s a reason why people talk about getting lost in a good book. As you engross yourself in a story, the edges of daily life start to blur, and so do your feelings of stress. As your body relaxes, your brain is lighting up with activity, stimulating an increase in empathy, creativity, and imagination. Next time you feel the urge to zone out by scrolling through your feed, try to make the decision to read intentionally instead.

Books not only expand your mind but could also expand your career, as reading trains you to synthesize information and process complex concepts. Chances are that the more you read, the better you’ll write by benefit of your expanded vocabulary and boosted ability to focus. Joining a reading group or book club is a great way to combine networking with reading while having the added bonus of taking reading from a solitary activity to one that you can experience with others. Another way to share reading with your community is volunteering to read to older adults or people with low vision. If you enjoy reading to your own children, consider signing up to read aloud at a library or community center after-school program near you.

Still think you don’t like reading? You do, we promise. You just haven’t found the right book yet. Start with what interests you, whether it’s history or self-improvement or science fiction. There’s truly something for everyone. Need ideas? Ask a bookworm friend for a recommendation, search online, or better yet, take a stroll through your neighborhood bookstore or library.

Started reading a book you’re just not into? Don’t feel bad about putting it down and finding something new. And free yourself from any shame about what pages you like to turn. If choosing to dive into some YA fiction or a romance paperback over Thomas Pynchon gets you reading, that’s good enough.

Of course, if you’re reading this article, you may already lean toward all things literate. You’re probably smart, too! You did go to Excelsior University after all, so pick up or download a book today and start reading.