Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

The death of leisure reading

Karli Kloss

If you are perusing this column right now and therefore holding a newspaper in your hands, you are among a population of this campus that cares enough about reading to at least browse the 500 to 700 word articles provided. Though newspapers are designed to inform, they also provide a means of entertainment and often distraction. When I want a break from pretending to take notes in class, I usually glance through The New York Times Global or BBC online (after checking Facebook first, let's be honest) because reading for me is a pleasant diversion. Though many of us read newspapers, how many of you can remember the last time you read an actual book simply for your own enjoyment?

As college students, it sometimes feels as though we are surrounded by words. Between all of my classes (assuming I actually complete all of my assigned readings) I'm looking at tackling an average of 300 pages weekly. There are most likely students out there whose reading load quite exceeds mine. I am also in the middle of two other fiction books just for funsies. Why on earth would I want to do any reading that isn't mandatory? Because analytical reading is one of the most valuable skill sets a person can carry throughout the course of his or her life.

Sure, we all read for class, but how many of us actually enjoy what we're reading?

The fact is, by the time our work is done for the day or the week, pretty much the least enticing activity (right after scrubbing the bathroom tiles with a toothbrush) is more reading. When we have free time, we turn on the TV, fire up the Xbox or just crash for a few hours, but we do not pick up a book. This is just one more bad habit we pick up during our collegiate years bouncing between intensive studies and self-indulgence. Most do not think about the multitude of benefits to be gained from consistent reading habits.

Though this may come off as a public service announcement (or perhaps a Reading Rainbow commercial), the importance of reading cannot be stressed enough. It expands your vocabulary, knowledge base, conceptual abilities and even writing abilities. The books don't have to be impressive or award winning (i.e. dull and obscure) either. I am not ashamed to admit that I have picked up some of my favorite $5 words from the occasional chick lit book or trashy romance novel. With every book you read, you gain a new perspective, a different take on an old story and a jolt of creative energy right to your cranium.

In June 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor published its 2009 survey of American time use through the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Television was the highest ranked leisure activity practiced by Americans, with an average of 2.8 hours a day. Other leisure activities like sports and socializing were included, but the last on the list was, unsurprisingly, reading. Americans age 15 to19 spend an average of five minutes per weekend day reading. This is appalling.

Every tour guide who goes through King Library points out all three shelves of our leisure reading section and then makes a point to mention that as a Miami University student you will never touch a single book on that shelf, a sad but true fact that we can fix. Pick a topic that intrigues you, a mystery that confounds you or even a story that will just make you feel good with its cheesy ending. Even Oprah, who might be scary in a lot of aspects, still does pick some good books and inspires millions to read them.

So, even if you only have time to make it through a few extracurricular books a semester, make the effort to pick out a novel or two and set aside a little time each day to read. Only good things can come of it.


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