Evangelina Delaney ’30
Staff Writer
“One fish, Two Fish, Red fish, Blue Fish.” These clever, rhythmic words belong to one of many renowned, timeless Dr. Seuss books that are, in all likelihood, ingrained somewhere deep in your memory bank. In fact, you probably had it memorized by the ripe age of three, with its easy-flowing, singsongy cadence.
So, not to trash a popular influencer, but would you ever dare admit you recall only having read one singular book in your entire life, and that book is one by Dr. Seuss? To boot, you can’t even name which of his incredibly clever and widely celebrated books it was. Well, that’s what famous influencer Alix Earle, with 15 million combined followers across all platforms, just did. Granted, she was undoubtedly being coy, and hopefully hyperbolic, but does that change the fact that consuming physical media/literature has drastically lost its appeal, and we are increasingly swapping out books for phone screens?
Though I am an avid reader and consider it one of my favorite hobbies, I, like everyone, am guilty of this. I often sit down, intending to read, only to realize two hours later that I’ve wasted precious free time staring mindlessly at my phone. We are in the midst of a literary crisis in our nation. Why is it then that not reading has become “edgy” and “cool”, or something to brag about?
I would argue the reason for this [borderline] epidemic is the addictive content young and impressionable people are insidiously fed uninterrupted on the internet. At the risk of sounding as though I am dragging Earle, this was very much a blunder. Given her audience is comprised mainly of young, suggestible girls who actively aspire to be like her, what a sad message she just conveyed. In a daft attempt to be relatable and unbothered, her flip comment highlights one of our generation’s massive weaknesses.
This got me thinking: if influencers are going to be constantly shoved in our faces, shouldn’t they be offering valuable lessons rather than implying that reading is irrelevant or not worthwhile? To be clear, many influencers, not just Earle, perpetuate this same idea in one way or another, and though it was undoubtedly made as a harmless remark, the sequelae are anything but.
Sure, you can be a well-rounded person without being well-read. But with today’s staggering decline in literacy in our country, I think it’s crucial to remember the innumerable and invaluable gifts we gain from reading. Reading enables us to expand our personal lexicons, build empathy for others, obtain nuanced insights into the world around us, and so much more. To quote the beloved Dr. Seuss again, “If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.”
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