For the past couple of years, I was convinced that liking to read was a minority opinion. However, in the Ascension hallways and classrooms, I have been seeing more and more people with books in their hands. What changed?

For this development, I would like to thank social media. There’s nothing like a trend to get people doing something, even if it is dangerous (think eating Tide Pods in 2018 or the one-chip challenge). Stanley cups instantly flew off the shelves in late 2023 when influencers and normal girls alike praised their aesthetics and ability to maintain a drink’s temperature. You can walk almost anywhere and smell the Sol De Janeiro body spray or various other products thanks to social media, too. Ascension itself even has its own trends and culture, like wearing Keds when our school doesn’t require them or drinking energy drinks during first hour classes. 

From people who hated reading, I would often hear that books were boring and couldn’t keep people’s attention. And I get it— spending your summer break reading Shakespeare isn’t for everyone, truly. School curriculum and structure has discouraged many students from reading because they are used to reading something a teacher or board has chosen instead of a book students have personally found interest in. And although many classes have incorporated a free-choice reading assignment, the attachment to grades leads to students choosing the shortest and easiest-to-read book possible so that they can get a 100% on their assignment and move on. 

However, with the trend in reading for teenage girls, books have been discovered that specifically cater to this age group’s interests. These books are founded on the same ideals which founded the beloved genre of chick-flicks— an easy-to-consume, entertaining piece of media. 

When more and more girls began posting their current reads to social media, reading suddenly became more accessible. It became a trend, and it became normal and easy. We no longer had to go on a search to find a book that would entertain us, because we had real recommendations from people just like us at our fingertips. At the same time, the trend in girly romance books caused an influx of these books being written, meaning there is a never-ending list of books in a similar genre ready for teenagers to read. 

It isn’t only girly books which are popular to read now, though. Social media has opened doors to millions of books, each so different and so perfect for different individuals. It is now extremely possible to find a book that you will actually enjoy and that won’t feel like a chore to read. 

So, keep reading (if you’d like to, anyways). It probably makes your English teachers happy to see you open a book after a test, or tell your friends a book you’ve read is good. And it might do you well to pay a little more attention to the next “book of literary merit” you have to read.