People do like to read for enjoyment, but if you asked a group of teenagers a few years ago if they like to read for fun, the answer would most likely be a “no.” Is there a driving force behind the rise in popularity of these books among teens? Or, have people always enjoyed reading, and they are just realizing now?

Many students participate in extracurricular activities on top of the 40 hours a week spent doing school. Teens don’t have a lot of time to figure out what genre is right for them. The remaining time outside of school to read a personal book is virtually non-existent, or at least it can feel that way. If you dislike the genre you are reading, it can take a lot longer to finish a book.

With the rise of books on social media, specifically on Tik Tok, teens have gotten back into reading.

Adelia Nasir, a junior at Lake Shore High School said, ¨My favorite genre has to either be science fiction, mental health, or even dystopian. It’s all about your interests, and trust me there is something out there for you. Honestly, it’s just about finding things that make you happy and having a general interest in reading about them.¨

A lot of students have talked about how they used to find enjoyment in reading as a child, but lost interest in it as they got older. Many of these students are rediscovering this hobby in different ways.

Peter Van Huelle, a junior at Lake Shore High School said, ¨I didn’t always enjoy reading. I hadn’t really gotten into reading until about a year ago. I stopped reading a lot at the start of high school because we weren’t assigned a lot of books.¨

Giana Fett, a Lake Shore High School junior said, ¨I haven’t always enjoyed reading. I read a lot in elementary school and stopped in middle school because it wasn’t ‘cool,’ and I just didn’t enjoy it as I had in the past. I recently got back into it in like 10th grade because I has an amazing English teacher who really made me get back into it.¨

It’s more common than you would think to fall out of habit with reading and then later find a spark for it again. Many students can struggle with either starting to read, or rekindling their reading hobby. Let’s be honest, there are so many different books to pick from, if you are struggling to find a book that is right for you, you aren’t the only one.

Fett also said, ¨I would recommend venturing more. Find a genre you like, and ignore anything negative people say about what books you like. Think of it as watching a movie or T.V. show and really picture what’s happening, don’t think of it as some chore or something you have to do. Also, start with more simple reads if you need to, then go on to harder reads. If anyone judges you ignore them because we all like different things!¨