Reading outside of school can be both entertaining and boring for some students. The joy of sitting down to read a book can sometimes be forgotten in the fast paced life of social media and TV. But for those that have the time and know what they like in a book, reading can be much more enjoyable.
For many people, technology plays an important role in whether they choose to read or not. The endless social media posts and reels may keep some away from sitting down to read a book. You may scroll on and on and not even realize the other things you could have done during that time, such as reading a book. “You’re scrolling on social media and then you forget about reading,” Senior Steven Sibri Pina said.
Busy schedules can also impact whether students choose to read in their free time, if they have free time at all. Reading is something that takes time, and should be relaxing. It isn’t something that people should have to fit into their day and stress about. “I usually don’t like to read outside of school because I do not have time, so I often feel rushed when reading,” Sophomore Harper Stevenson-Shimek said.
I usually don’t like to read outside of school because I do not have time, so I often feel rushed when reading
— Harper Stevenson-Shimek
Students may have a hard time finding the perfect book they will enjoy. There are many different books to choose from and there are a lot of people who haven’t found a genre they like yet. Many people won’t know where to start or what they might like. “There’s a lot of books and there’s different genres of it and you don’t know what to take,” Sibri said.
For those that have found the genre they like, reading can be easier and more fun. All it takes is some time to find what you like. “I’m kind of into older literature so it’s cool for me to read that and like you know understand the context,” Junior Camila DuarteNava said.
Most English classes have students read books for the class. This also allows less time for them to read personal choice books. “I don’t have time, and especially during the school year I am already reading for school so I use my free time doing non-academic activities,” Stevenson-Shimek said.
People also may choose to read articles and current things happening right now. This is yet another thing that keeps people from reading fun books.”I guess [you] pull up you know, an article maybe in the news or something on social media,” Sibri Pina said.