Reading is an important part of our society. It is key to learning and understanding. Without reading, how would you know bwhere to buy that juicy hamburger on the billboard? Or what would happen if Christian Bale couldn't read his script for the new Batman movie? Well, he probably wouldn't sound that different, but you get the point. Reading is a key factor to life as we know it. So why, then, are less and less people reading everyday?


Less young people are reading because of all of the distractions in today's society. TVs, iPods, computers, video games, you name it! Every time you turn around a new smart phone has come out or your laptop has gone obsolete. With technology advancing so quickly, people just aren't interested in the old-fashioned books of yesterday.


Another reason for less reading is society's misplacement of values. People today aren't interested in books or education, but more on athletics and entertainment. Instead of picking up a good copy of War of the Worlds, most people would rather pick up the remote and catch the "big game."


An independent study showed that 25% of United States families did not read a book in the past year. That, to me, is unbelievable. Not a single book in a whole year! I can't go a good day without reading at least a little part of my book. I believe that we, as Americans need to do something about that.


At my school, every Thursday we have this thing called SSR, or silent, sustained reading. This is a great wat to get young people reading. In class, we take 20-30 minutes (or the whole class period if you're lucky) to read whatever we want. My economics teacher provides us with an article every Thursday that deals with the economy, current events, or history. He also gives us a set of questions that goes along with the article to get us thinking so we can better understand what we read.


When I found out about SSR, I was ecstatic. With my class schedule, I had absolutely no time to read. I always had homework that needed to get done in the next class, classwork, or something else going on. But with SSR, I got a special time set aside just for reading - with no distractions at all.


But, for those of you that do not have SSR, I strongly encourage you to take at least a small amount of time out of your day to sit down, relax, and read. You can read a book, a newspaper, or your favorite magazine. By reading you will expand your vocabulary, and travel to new and distant places around the world and beyond! Reading is your key to success!