As children, we are introduced to the magical worlds of books. Many people grow up to stories like Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon and Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. Stories enchant us and broaden our imaginations.

In olden times, the sign of an educated person was a well-read person. People would spend hours at a time discussing the classics of literature. But with the advent of technology like televisions, video games and computers, people are drifting away from a once-beloved pastime.

What had once been a status symbol is turning into a symbol of social estrangement. Quite often, people can be heard bragging that they haven’t read a book since second grade, except for required reading – and sometimes not even that.

Understandably, there are some people who just are not interested by reading. But since when has not reading been the “cool” thing?

Books can have a huge impact on our lives. They broaden our understanding of the world, engage our brains, spark our imaginations and develop our vocabularies.

According to a study by Anne E. Cunningham of the University ofCalifornia,Berkeleyand Keith E. Stanovich of the University of Toronto/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, “reading volume, rather than oral language, is the prime contributor to individual differences in children’s vocabularies.” Substantial vocabularies can have an impact on such important aspects of our lives as job interviews.

Senior Courtney Reyman, who tries to read every night, says, “It enlightens me on the works of the world.” What better way to pass the time than to become a well-rounded person?

The next time you are mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook news feed or complaining there’s nothing to do, try opening up a book. The possibilities are endless when you discover a page-turner.