Are Young People Reading?

Rosamelia Sanchez | Editor

Do young people read anymore? Considering the overwhelming number of articles one might find when searching this question, it is no surprise that so many people think they do not. My whole life, I have heard individuals from older generations, including teachers, say that young people do not enjoy reading anymore and that technology is to blame. However, I do not think this claim is all that true. Even in cases where it is true, it is more complicated than just “young people don’t read.”

As a reader, I have noticed a pattern in reading habits among my generation. Some of my friends, who now enjoy reading, could not say the same in high school. They claimed that they did not enjoy reading back then. These claims mainly originated from being required to read texts and stories written by and about people they could not relate to, which made reading a tedious task.

Although now I do enjoy a gothic novel or a historical work of fiction every once in a while, in high school, my experiences did not necessarily resemble those of a man from the 19th century, so I was not interested. My taste inclined more towards young adult novels about people my age, living experiences like mine, and I was not the only one. Many of my classmates enjoyed these types of stories as well. But, if this is the case, why are so many people claiming that young people don’t read?

Personally, I think that literature directed towards younger people is sometimes disregarded as “dumb” or “nonsense." In reality, the cultural impact that young adult fiction has had on millennials and Gen Zers makes it worth studying in a classroom. Not only can it make English class more fun, but it also has the potential of making high school students feel less alone in their journey.