Since World War II, pollsters and the American people have categorized generations using slang terms and dates. The Silent Generation, baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, Gen Z, and now the latest addition, Generation Alpha, or Gen Alpha, are commonly used designations for those born within the same two decades or so.
In a related issue—we’ll soon make the connection—many believe that books will eventually become
obsolete, replaced by electronic devices. Numerous
studies report reading itself is in decline, with many people preferring visual media to print.
Millennials—those born between 1981 and 1996—beg to disagree.
Surveys
show that this generation, which is made up of men and women from their late 20s to their mid-40s, annually reads more books than any other group. In 2017, Forbes
reported that “Millennials read more than older generations do—and more than the last generation did at the same age.”
In a more recent online
article, “The Surprising Reading Habits of Millennials,” Brendan Brown delves deeper into millennial reading habits. Not only do they read more books per year than other generations, but they also
visit libraries more frequently and favor print books over digital reading. In contrast to other Americans, they prefer to read their news rather than watch it. As Brown reported, they’re incessant users of devices such as smartphones—94 percent own one—but they spend a good deal more time reading on those phones than watching videos.
This is good news for our country and for the world. Here are just a few reasons why. First, millennials are gaining the widely recognized
benefits of reading books, from building vocabulary to improved sleep to strengthening brain function. Another huge benefit is that readers beget readers. Moms and dads who pick up a book generally want their children to do the same, and kids enjoy copycatting their parents. Because these millennials will be the ones reading aloud to their young children and encouraging their teens to immerse themselves in stories, they’ll be creating a new generation of book lovers.
Finally, many millennials read to improve their work and their personal lives. Most of the ones I know usually have a book going, and often they’re reading not only for entertainment but as a form of continuing education. A home builder of my acquaintance subscribes to two print magazines on that topic, a lawyer listens constantly to audiobooks or reads to stay sharp in his profession, and a homeschool mom is always looking for hints that will enhance the education of her children.
These folks who are reading to enhance their own situations may not realize it, but they’re building a better society for the rest of us. The man who upgrades his construction skills because of some ideas he takes from a magazine article or the entrepreneur who expands her business and employs 14 people rather than two by reading “
The E-Myth Revisited,” as was done by one young person I know, are truly nation-builders.
American author and reading advocate Jim Trelease nailed it when he
wrote: “A nation that does not read much does not know much. And a nation that does not know much is more likely to make poor choices in the home, the marketplace, the jury box, and the voting booth. And those decisions ultimately affect the entire nation ... the literate and illiterate.”
Let’s take a lesson from the millennials, pick up some books, and encourage others to do the same. It’s one easy way we can keep our country alive and vibrant.
