By Kayla Landers, January 27, 2026
Reading has been tragically declining among the adult population over the past 20 years. Readers spanning the ages of 18-34 had previously been the group who consumed the most literature; however, in recent years, this has become less so.
According to the National Endowment for the Arts, 48.5% of adults read a book or more for pleasure over 12 months in July 2022. This is a decrease from 2017, when the number was 52.7%. This is troubling because individuals in this age range, including CPP students like who attend college to further their careers, could significantly benefit from reading more books for pleasure.
The structures and style of books can give a greater depth of knowledge to a reader, in comparison to quick facts on social media platforms, which is where most people are getting their content. Receiving information from platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram has become increasingly trendy, with people across age groups consuming content at greater speeds. But reading should not just be about seeing what you can learn in the shortest amount of time; it’s about culminating a well-rounded set of skills when it comes to communicating in written or verbal form. According to the Baylor Writing Graduate Center, reading also helps expand your vocabulary.
“If you’ve read about something essentially, the next time you read it, it rings a bell,” said Allison Baker, a CPP English and modern languages professor. “The more reading you’ve done, the easier the next reading will be.”
Baker also noted by reading more, students can pick up on subtle rhetorical moves. Baker said rhetorical devices are important linguistically and could allow for an individual’s speech to become more persuasive and effective when conveying messages. Analytical skills are also picked up when reading because when you’re reading a story, your brain starts to subconsciously make connections, enhancing your ability to solve problems with greater ease.
Deciphering components of a subject or articulating how a set of ideas connect to the whole are tasks college students must complete in classes, so reading could act as a gateway to accumulate these skills. Reading doesn’t have to be primarily academic either; jumping into fictional stories can also be beneficial, primarily positively affecting your mental health. A study proved reading could help ease individuals’ muscle tension, as well as lower their heart rates faster than other forms of relaxation can. This serves as another option for students to unwind after long days of school or other taxing situations.
Not only can reading alleviate physical stress, but it can also improve mental stress. Picking up a book and drifting off into a new world can divert your attention from the problems you face in the real world and teach important lessons.
Graphic image by Connor Lālea Hampton
