“I hate reading. What’s the point?”

Nothing makes my blood boil more than hearing those words coming out of someone’s mouth. Many people these days just don’t seem to care that there weren’t always computers and cell phones and iPods at our beck and call way back when, ready to spout out information within seconds. Well, kids, things weren’t always like this. You used to have to go to a library, pull out a book, and write down words for research. You didn’t just type it into your search bar and bookmark it. The decline of reading is, in my point of view, one of the saddest things to ever happen to society as we know it.

From a young age, I’ve been an avid reader of books, and I am still to this day. I’ve read a book a day numerous times, and I’m proud of it. Others, not so much. Nowadays, kids just aren’t reading books anymore. Some even laugh at the notion. I don’t find anything even remotely funny about this because children need to be educated. Whatever happened to going to a library for research to use the books, not the computers? Whatever happened to reading for fun? Many people shy away from that notion as if it’s a poison snake, and I just don’t understand it. What is so bad about reading?

When I read, it’s like a motion picture is projecting itself inside my head. It’s exciting, and it’s better than any movie I’ve ever seen or ever will see because I can make the anything look the way I want it to, from the characters to the backdrops. Reading gives you imagination. Not only that, it increases your vocabulary and overall intelligence. I just can’t imagine why people wouldn’t want to read with those pros.

What is even more troubling, however, is the supposed ‘cons’ as to why people don’t want to read. Many people are just lazy nowadays. Why don’t you log out of your video game and go read a chapter? Turn off the TV and go read half a book? It’s not that hard. There’s no physical exertion involved, I promise. If you don’t count moving your eyes.

People desperately need to read. Without books, we’d be illiterate. Don’t you think the fact that we probably wouldn’t be here today without books is a pretty big point to read? I think we should work to incorporate more reading into our education system today so we can be more literate tomorrow.