TIME vs. READING HABITS

            According to some statistics, 76% of American adults ages 18 and older have read at least one book in the past year (PewResearchCenter, 2013). I remember that in my home in Colombia my mom has a library; however, once when I was in high school she said that she would have preferred an electronic book when she was in school. Her reason was that it was easier to carry an electronic device than a physical book because the device weighs less. Reading habits have been affected home environment, educational practicing, and technological advances.
   

My sister is reading at home.

        Everything begins at home. When you are a kid, the first values are always inculcated at home. Your parents are responsible for teaching you to be a good person. Usually, children are a copy of what they see at home. When you are a kid, the only thing that you think about is just play and play. This is the reason that most parents prefer to give toys or video games than a book. However, parents could create a habit of reading in which the children choose a story based on the colors and animations which leads to the habit of reading for pleasure. Nowadays, parents are more involved in their child’s education and reading is a priority.  

Reading at school - Public Domain

Many of the students changed reading for pleasure to reading for obligation. It is likely that students read 3-5 books annually in schools. However, they read to get a score or to answer a few questions on a test, but do not really read because they want to. When the reading is for pleasure, you feel adrenaline when you let yourself get wrapped up in the fantasy world. You feel emotions when you find similarities to the one of the characters in the story. If students could choose to read for pleasure, more genuine education would occur.

Ebook - Shared with a Creative Commons License

We are a generation of constant change. Some people read a book in print, read an e-book, or use an audio book. This clearly shows how over the years reading habits have changed. An e-book is an electronic version of a printed book. However; computers, tablets, iPads, and smartphones can be used to read as well. Some people find it easier to hand carry an electronic device than a book. Basically, an audio book is a recording of a printed book usually in MP3 format. An advantage of reading is that it helps you improve your spelling; but, with an audio book you could not see the text.

Reading habits begin at home, becomes strengthened in schools, and becomes more accessible with technology. Parents’ involvement promotes reading, and leads to reading for pleasure. So, it is time for schools to help parents with this responsibility. Finally, the technological advances make reading easier in different formats.