We’ve all seen our fair share of iPad kids: eyes glued to the screen, volume on full blast. But what happened to the kids who came before them, the ones who couldn’t put down their books, even for a second?

The ways in which kids entertain themselves now have regressed; becoming less enriching and trapping children in a self-induced state of attention deficit. 

I wouldn’t call myself a bookworm, but when I find a good book, I can’t put it down. All book genres offer something to learn, even if it’s just one new word. There has also been extensive research done on the cognitive benefits of reading. 

Maybe this stems from the elementary practice of labeling the class bookworm as the “nerd” or “dork,” but I feel that many people my age are too quick to jump on the anti-intellectualism bandwagon. Many of my peers boast about never having read a book that isn’t required by the DCPS curriculum.

I’ve heard so many people say that reading just isn’t for them; they can’t sit down long enough to enjoy the act of reading, and as a fairly screen-addicted teenager myself, I understand that mentality. It can take a while to find a book worth reading, certainly longer than it takes to get sucked into scroll heaven. But with a quick trip to a library or bookstore, anyone can find a book they’ll enjoy—it’s just a matter of taking the time to do so.

Two books I have read this year that I think will appeal to most readers are “The Topeka School” by Ben Lerner for English readers and “Paula” by Isabel Allende for Spanish readers. 

Sometimes it seems like it’s ‘cooler’ to do the wrong things, and it can even become a competition: who slept the least amount of hours, who spent the most time on their phone, who did the least amount of homework, who partied the hardest. I’m not excluded from that mindset but over time I have realized that taking care of yourself is the cool thing to do, and reading is the easiest place to start.