Why Reading Still Matters
And Why Our Kids Need It Now More Than Ever
We’re in a digital age. Screens are everywhere. Tablets, phones, TVs, YouTube, TikTok — it’s normal. I’m not anti-technology. It’s part of the world our kids are growing up in.
But here’s what is scary.
Parents are reading to their kids less. Kids aren’t choosing books. Literacy scores are dropping. Self-esteem is dropping.
And we’re seeing the consequences in real time.
What Are We Really Programming?
When kids watch TV or scroll endlessly, they’re being programmed. Whether we like it or not. The messages seep into their subconscious:
“To be liked, I have to look a certain way.”
“To be worthy, I have to be thin.”
“To belong, I have to fit in.”
It reminds me of that scene in Detachment where they talk about assimilation — how we’re constantly absorbing beliefs without realizing it. Most of what kids consume isn’t neutral. It shapes how they see themselves and the world.
And when those messages are shallow, unrealistic, or harmful… confidence crumbles.
Why Reading Is Different
Books don’t give you pictures.
They give you possibility.
When a child reads, they have to create the world in their mind. The faces. The places. The emotions. Their imagination does the heavy lifting.
That matters.
Because imagination builds:
Creativity
Problem-solving
Empathy
Emotional intelligence
Critical thinking
These are life skills. Adult skills. Leadership skills.
Reading trains the brain to think. Not just consume.
Seeing Yourself in the Story
When a kid reads about a character who feels awkward… Who’s scared… Who messes up… Who keeps going anyway…
Something powerful happens.
They become that character.
Because no one is showing them what to see — they’re creating it. And most kids don’t picture a random face.
They picture themselves.
Being a kid is lonely sometimes. So is being a teen.
You think you’re the only one struggling. The only one scared. The only one who feels different.
Books quietly say:
You’re not alone.
And when that flawed character becomes the hero? When they fail and try again? When they bounce back from embarrassment?
Kids store that.
So when real life hits… They tap into that story.
They remember: Oh yeah. I can be brave too.
Every kid deserves to see themselves as the hero.
Because they are.
How Do We Get Kids Reading Again?
We make it connection, not a chore.
1. Read with them
Not at them.
Read your own book next to them. Talk about what you’re reading. Let them talk about theirs.
That’s what my mom did with me. We didn’t always read the same book — but we talked about them.
Just like we’d talk about shows.
2. Bring back bedtime stories
Even when they’re older.
You read. They read. Take turns.
Those moments stick forever.
3. Make it social
In my upcoming YA series The Princess and Her Four Knights, the mom starts a mother-daughter book club.
And she goes ALL IN.
Themed food. Decorations. Immersion.
Why do we only do that for movies?
Why not book nights?
4. Let them read to YOU
Driving to school? Have them read out loud.
At night? Let them perform the story.
It builds confidence.
5. Replace some screen time
Not all of it.
Just some.
Instead of defaulting to TV… Try reading.
Even 10 minutes matters.
6. Find what THEY love
Not what you loved.
Graphic novels. Fantasy. Mystery. Sports.
There is a book for everyone.
Book Clubs Aren’t Just for Adults
Right now, my podcast Mindset Lessons from the Field is running a business book club. This month we read Leadership Is Overrated by Navy SEAL Kyle Buckett.
We connect. We grow. We talk.
Why can’t kids do the same?
Books create community.
The Bigger Picture
Reading isn’t just about grades.
It’s about:
Confidence
Identity
Emotional strength
Thinking for yourself
In a world that constantly tells kids who to be…
Books let them decide.
They become the hero. They face obstacles. They overcome.
And slowly…
They start believing:
I can do hard things.
That belief changes everything.
We don’t need perfect parents.
We need present ones.
Pick up a book. Sit next to your kid. Start small.
Ten minutes today Becomes a habit tomorrow.
And one day…
They won’t need you to remind them.
They’ll reach for the book themselves.
And that?
That’s how we raise thinkers.
Heroes.
Readers.
Learn more about the nonprofit EmpowerLit- Literacy & Beyond today. Be the reason a child believes in themselves.
Couldn’t agree more. The more we all read, the better off we all are together and individually.