by Hedwig Siu
A student’s cry to read more!
No one can deny that reading is a crucial part of modern-day life; anytime, anyplace, we are reading: signs, work documents, menus or directions. Now, it seems the enjoyment of text-based media is fading fast in comparison to the rise of social media and bite-sized videos — forms of entertainment made for shorter attention spans. Still, there remain a handful of passionate readers who would pick up a book over a video game console any day. So, what is it about books that captivates these resilient hearts and minds?
Since I was a child, books were all over my house. My mother was a strong advocate of reading, even for toddlers. Fairy tales and counting guides, picture books and lift-the-flap stories cluttered every surface. My love of books was planted. Each page held new and unlimited possibilities, each sentence an unknown future. And before I knew it, I was reading novels at the age of six. My mind learned how to visualise scenes based on description and how to imagine characters. I learned how to see through words and understand worlds different from our own.
At the time, I hadn’t realised this was called imagination. I believed it was normal to be open-minded and perceptive. I thought it was common practice for everyone to open a book and drown in every scene, leaving reality behind, or swim in a world of words. This did not make me a daydreamer, but instead helped sharpen and develop my mind, teaching me to focus and think out of the box.
I didn’t just absorb; I learnt and applied. The vocabulary and grammar in the books improved my English skills, and I learnt how to solve problems and to approach the same issue in more than one way. Not long ago, I even began writing my own novel.
Some have claimed that my experience is uncommon and unrelatable. However, it is just about circumstances. Take my friend, for example, who used to detest reading. A while ago, our school implemented the Accelerated Reader programme to encourage students to read. With the programme tied to our English grade, my friend had no choice but to begin reading. Over the course of a year, her reading level skyrocketed. She gained new vocabulary, witty responses, and now, you would never see her without a book in her hands. That’s how much the power of reading can change you.
While I am happy for my friend, as an avid reader who likes promoting books and reading culture, it kills me to see people being “forced” to read. I believe that reading should never be a task or requirement, but rather a voluntary act. A little like drawing: people draw because they want to and because they feel the art. Likewise, the enjoyment of reading can only be truly experienced through a genuine willingness to do so. There’s no point in being forced to read, because you’re not really enjoying anything; it becomes nothing more than looking at long words that you don’t care about.
As a teenager, I spotted the changes amongst my peers and the little addictive screens that rob them of their interests and their ability to imagine. My heart breaks to see beloved paperbacks sob, lying abandoned on their shelves, rotting away untouched.
It is never really about the books; it is about habits. Watching this fast-paced world move around and ahead of me with artificial intelligence and luminescent screens, I just can’t help but wonder: Is reading for pleasure going to be a thing of the past, left behind as ancient history?
Think about it. If we all collectively give up reading as a leisure activity, what will happen? I can already foresee a few possible outcomes: job loss among full-time authors, increased restlessness among children, and the loss of a beautiful way of expressing not just our opinions and feelings, but also language, culture, and so much more that lies underneath the rigid cover of a book.
Because to me, a book is more than a bunch of papers between pieces of cardboard; more than just printed words on dead trees; more than sentences and scenarios mushed together. No, a book is a type of expression, art, creation, someone’s thoughts, someone’s hidden voice, someone’s passion displayed for the world to see. Books are more — if not definitely better — than 30-second videos about Italian brain-rot or meaningless memes. They create worlds beyond our understanding and offer opportunities to learn and grow.
So please, when tempted to pick up their Instagram or TikTok, don’t. Find a book instead, and allow yourself to get lost within a magical world. ■
Hedwig Siu is a 13-year-old international school student who enjoys reading, sleeping, writing, public speaking, drawing and fluffy things. She likes fiction and her favourite book is The Midnight Library. She aspires to become a psychologist and end discrimination towards neurodivergence one day.