With the technology that we have today, you do not see very many high school students picking up a book, but at Potosi High School, students choosing to read books has been making a comeback. According to Scottish Book Trust, in recent years, statistics show that 20% of teens reported reading a book or magazine, while 80% of them say that they use social media every day. Reading can improve your comprehension, sleeping habits, and self-understanding in teens, but some teens question how they are supposed to make time for reading with everything else going on in their lives.

In Potosi High School there are two main students that you will always see with a book: seniors Natalee Fried and Marah Volgelsberg. When talking with the two girls about why they had started reading again, Natalee said, “My boyfriend’s mom actually got me started on reading again when she was talking to me about the books she had been reading.” Marah went on to say that, “Natalee talked me into picking up a book when she told me about the ones Brayden’s mom had told her about.” The main reason for picking up a book in these seniors' busy lives was because of the word of mouth about the great authors that were coming out. 

Romance, thrillers, and murder mysteries are the main topics that Marah and Natalee have been reading. Marah went on to say, “It all really depends on if the books interest you with how much you read.” As we all know, teenagers will not do something that they do not want to do or do not see an interest in, so when it comes to reading, just like anything else, it has to be a book that they are interested in. Natalee says, “Whenever I am reading a good book that has a lot of thrill, it can take me less than two days to finish it, even if it is four hundred pages.” Even though both of these senior girls are very busy with finishing up classes, softball, and preparations for graduation, they both have said that they find time to read. 

Finding time to read in their down time has really affected their lives. Marah says, “Since I have started reading again, I have noticed that I am more productive, happier, and have less screen time on my phone.”Teenagers spend most of their down time scrolling on their phones, but when they changed how they spent time from their phones to reading, Marah and Natalee both noticed a great change in their mental health, productivity, and nerves. 

Technology makes a big dent into our lives whether we notice it or not, but reading can impact your life for the better. Not only are high school students noticing the impact of reading, but adults are too. Natalee says, “I get to share books with Brayden’s mom and my mom now that we are all reading.” Overall, reading can improve lives, and Marah and Natalee are just a small sign of it. Maybe picking up a book today could better your future.