In our modern lives, we are constantly bombarded with all forms of media, whether they be TV, movies, Facebook or even the occasional newspaper. But one form of media seems to lay about collecting dust as it falls progressively more out of favor with our generation: books. What happened to make us stop reading books?

Anybody alive in the ‘90s and early 2000s will nostalgically remember shows like “Reading Rainbow,” “Between the Lions” and “Wishbone.” Their wild, artistic and often outlandish intros portrayed reading as an adventure of the imagination. Now that’s something a kid could definitely get excited about. 

For a time, during the early days of our youth, this reading zeal stuck around. “The Giving Tree,” “Captain Underpants,” “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” “Goosebumps” and “Harry Potter,” among others, did well to captivate our minds. In elementary school, we had friendly competitions to see who could read the most; our efforts were rewarded with stickers and stars. 

And who could forget the scholastic book fairs? Every eye-opening pamphlet page brought a heart-racing desire to buy — of all things — books! Lots and lots of colorful, gripping and thought-provoking books. Never again would our passion reach such heights. 

Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, amidst the painful awkwardness of trying to fit in throughout our ever-so-strange middle school tenure, reading became uncool. Some brave few souls decided to keep strong and joined Fantasy Book Club, Battle of the Books or other commonly teased reading clubs. But the popularity of the novel amongst young adults would confront an even worse fate. 

Three words: high school English. We dreaded reading quizzes more than anything else, and no other assignments were more readily cheated on. SparkNotes, Shmoop, CliffsNotes, whatever the crutch, it didn’t matter; numerous, obscure questions on every reading quiz ensured several deductions and several frustrated students, thereby turning us off altogether to the simple pleasure of reading. 

From here, some of us slowly found our way back to reading novels for entertainment, some found texts that expanded upon their skillset and career path, and a great deal more rarely bothered to return to the feeling of paper in hand. Instead, Netflix, social media and Internet browsing now occupy the majority of a 21st century young adult’s daily routine.

At this point, I almost feel obligated to list all of the benefits of reading, just as so many websites and teachers have done for years; however, it doesn’t seem to do any good. It’s like a health freak attempting to persuade another into eating kale every day. We know it is good for us, but well … we just don’t like how it tastes. The sweet deliciousness of the cake that is TV shows and YouTube videos is much more appealing at first glance.

Getting back into reading, like exercising after a long break, will not be fun. Nonetheless, if you can just bear the initial discomfort, then you will unlock a treasure trove of captivating narratives, valuable knowledge and utterly fascinating facts. A world of its own that is waiting to be explored is waiting for you, and all you have to do is rekindle that childhood desire. 

The next step is to figure out where to start. Every single genre, topic, interest and story imaginable has a novel written for it. That’s the true glory of books: Whatever you want to read is out there. Just search online, or, better yet, go to your local library. No need to be afraid of the stereotypical shushing librarian — most of them are actually incredibly nice and helpful. 

I challenge you to read just one book this summer. Choose whatever you like, even a simple children’s novel like “Where the Wild Things Are” or “Charlotte’s Web.” It doesn’t matter if it takes all summer to finish — you may discover your new favorite pastime, and you may even learn a thing or two in the process. So go on, don’t be ashamed, go find yourself. 

To quote “Reading Rainbow’s” theme song: “Take a look; it’s in a book.”