Sofia Chioccariello ’28

by Sofia Chioccariello ’28 on October 8, 2026

With the rise of technology and social media, teenagers and adults are no longer venturing to the bookstore and choosing a good book for the week. Aside from the typical assigned class reading, students are no longer choosing to dedicate their own time to reading a book that they truly enjoy. As attractive as social media is, it lacks the essential benefits that you can obtain from sitting down and enjoying a book. Social media is based on fast-paced, infinite scrolling and online connections. While these may prove beneficial in some instances, most of the time, they end up distracting us from what truly matters in the world. You are constantly consuming other people’s opinions rather than making your own and comparing your life to the ones you see in the media. While some may argue that social media has its benefits, which I definitely will not deny, what about books? The serenity of reading a good book, with undivided attention, not only teaches your brain to sustain a deep focus for a long amount of time but also allows your brain to enter a state of “flow.” Reading a book allows you to experience stepping into another person’s shoes, and although the characters and plots are fictional, it grows your empathy, which undoubtedly translates into real-world interactions. With social media taking over, why are people completely distancing themselves from novels, fiction, and all that you can gain from them? As the world continues to adapt to this new way of life with technology, people are forgetting about the classic words on paper. As a society, we have to learn how to use social media in moderation and not forget about the benefits that simply reading a book can grant.