Reading is a skill you use every day either for work, school, or just your day-to-day life. However, recent studies have shown that reading during people’s free time has reached an all-time low, and there is little desire to read when it doesn’t pertain to school or work. So this leads to the question, is reading still fundamental?

This is an issue that affects cognitive skills and learning capabilities in teenagers and young adults. It’s hard for students to read in their free time in this day and age because they’d much rather spend time on their cell phones or go out with friends. Young adults are no better they are just as distracted as teens when it comes to managing their time

Ms. May, an English teacher here at Verrado High School has this to say about how much high school students read: “I believe students do not read as much as they used to. A lot of kids are very busy with jobs, sports, activities, and homework that they don’t have as much time as they used to. Our society prioritizes a fast-paced life. Reading and taking time for self-care is something that is not prioritized; hence, students do not read as much.” Teachers are not oblivious to the lack of passion and urges for students to read on their own time.

During the interview, she agreed that reading does, in fact, help with student’s cognitive abilities and learning skills. She claimed, “The more exposure a student has to ‘model texts’ the more they are likely to imitate good writing techniques. Equally, the more a student reads the better their comprehension gets.” Literature can indeed help students reflect great reading and writing skills in their work.

When asked if students read less than they did back in the day this is what Honors English II teacher Ms. Mata had to say “I don’t think we have as many active readers as we did in the past. Most students do not read for pleasure on their own, however, I do see a good handful of my students reading their own chosen books. “

The interview conducted with Ms. Mata provided similar claims to the one with Ms. May:
“Reading and writing go hand in hand! We gain so many skills from reading. We develop stronger vocabulary and interact with different sentence structures that we can use in our own writing. Setting aside dedicated time for reading each day can develop your reading and writing skills. We can reflect on what we’ve read and try to incorporate what we’ve learned into our own writing to hone in on these skills.”

Additionally, Ms. Mata also had this to say about reading:“Reading is still incredibly important, even in the digital age. While technology and the internet have certainly changed the way we access information, reading remains a fundamental skill that is essential for learning and personal growth.” When taking into consideration the use of the internet and how it plays into literature today, many people prefer surfing the internet over reading.

So, this brings back the question of is reading fundamental for adults and young adults? As proven by educators here at Verrado, reading has and always will be fundamentally positive towards people of all ages.