With summer right around the corner, many high school students try to fill their free time by doing activities, whether that be volunteering at a hospital or simply playing a sport for fun. Amidst the eagerness to find activities to do, reading is often forgotten.

While reading is a highly regarded activity by teachers and students alike, they find themselves saying that they were “too busy” when asked about what they read over the summer.

For freshman Lily Lang, reading doesn’t seem to be a common activity among her friends. “Personally, I love a good book, but I definitely think that students try to find time to be on their phones as much as they can. I’m in honors English, so you’d think my classmates would read during SSR, but I look up and see half of them scrolling on their devices.”

Over the years, students have begun turning to their cellphones whenever they have free time. Studies show that currently, less than 20% of 17-year-olds read for pleasure every day compared to 31% back in 1984.

Freshman Idhika Subish reflects on school enforced reading. “At school during SSR first semester, I was in a class where reading was mandatory,” she stated. “I could pick any physical book, just not on my phone. I saw my reading skills increase greatly, and I was able to connect real world situations to vocabulary from my reading.”

While numerous other countries have adapted reading habits, a sharp decline is visible in the United States. Many of the children that do read on a frequent basis also have parents that enjoy reading. By seeing people around them enjoy books, children try to immerse himself in books as well.

However, as technology has begun to develop, news and entertainment can be attained through other forms of media, such as videos and social media posts. While this makes it easier for people to obtain knowledge, it eliminates the aspect of reading for pleasure and simply getting attached to a good book.

While it may be much more convenient to just grab your phone and scroll, the benefits of reading classics far outweigh the benefits of cellphones. Though watching TikToks may seem more fun, the scent of a freshly opened book is an experience far greater than anything technology can provide.