In today’s world with so many televisions, cell phones, laptops and many other forms of electronic media, people have turned away from reading books. I know people lead busy lives and have too much of this or that going on to be able to sit down and take the time to actually read.

It’s time to start making time.

The numbers of those who do not read anything at all for pleasure has almost doubled over the past 20 years, according to raisingbookworms.com.

That is a fairly high percentage which shows we have started to lose a very important thing.

Taking time to read a good book can bring nothing but good to the whole of society.

Where I think we have really started to go wrong in this issue is not pushing children to read more for pleasure. Children now mostly only have the time to bury their noses in school books and not much else.

They also need time to enjoy recreational reading.

I personally fell in love with books at a young age. Those reading habits I acquired then have stuck with me all of these years and have been beneficial in a number of ways.

I hope to instill the same love for reading in my children one day. Good reading habits follow children throughout their academic careers and lives.

With more adults not taking the time to read for pleasure, the percentage of children not reading will go up as well.

People seem to think because they are out of school that reading is just not a priority anymore — this thinking is where we suffer.

According to HuffingtonPost, “the benefits of reading are paramount, and we do not mean to those still in school. Mental stimulation like reading can potentially slow Alzheimer’s, and can actually enhance your memory.”

Also reading as a whole can expand your vocabulary which is an asset to many employers. There are tons of upsides to reading and yet it is being done less and less.

I know college students have very busy schedules, and a lot of things to read just for classes. But reading a book not pertaining to school work for a small amount of time will allow the brain to rest and unwind for a short period.

I know I find great pleasure in recreational reading and finding time for that is important in keeping me sane in this busy world.

I believe more people would be able to slow down and enjoy life a little more if reading were made important in our society again.

So with this being said, take some time, grab a good book and get to reading.