Reading is no longer a joy for students. Rather than picking up their summer book, students prefer reading the summary of Spark Notes. “Why would I spend my time reading the entire book, when Spark Notes can provide a detailed summary of the theme, characters and plot?” asked a Webb student.
Studies show that students have stopped reading as much, in recent times. Under the pressures of SAT preparation, internships, sports, and other responsibilities, even during summer vacation, students in both the United States and Korea have difficulty finding time to read books.
Hyun Jin Kim, a second year student at a High School affiliated with the College of Education, Chung-Ang University located in Seoul, Korea, said “After taking two or three classes a day and after completing the homework, I need to go to bed right away. It is really hard to make time to read.”
Students in the United States also complain that they simply cannot find the time either. Joy Lin, a junior at the Webb Schools said, “After my SAT class, tennis lessons and volunteering, I don’t have enough time to read.”
A lack of time is not the only reason that students are reading less. Due to modern technology, there are various sources of information available apart from books. Students use convenient search engines such as Google for research papers and other assignments rather than browsing through books at a library.
Materials on the internet are far easier to access; hence, books are losing their popularity.
“At school, when we are writing term papers, teachers require us to use two or three book sources,” said Lin.
Lin also explained that some students cite random books after finishing the paper because it takes a lot of effort to actually read the book and choose the essential materials.
Even though the majority of the students in both the United States and Korea seem to enjoy the convenience provided by internet, there are still few students who realized and understand the importance of reading.
Kim, in the midst of her busy schedule manages to read at least two to three books per week. “Reading books late at night makes me more tired in classes, but it allows me to take a break from the hectic world I live in.” Kim explained that she breaks up her time into ten minutes increments so that she has enough time to read.
Priyanka Patel, a senior at the Webb School, is also an avid reader, going through about four or five books a week. In fact, Patel received the Birdge book award, which honors the student who read the most during the school year.
“I enjoy reading because I can immerse myself deep into the story. I can become whatever I want,” added Patel. She hopes more people will share this joy of reading.
This is so true! Thanks for being so analytical! 🙂
I really enjoyed reading the article!
So detailed and interesting 😉