5013676

Texters for Reading

Walking down the aisles of Half Price Books became a familiar feeling for me as a child.

The store’s aroma of freshly printed words was comforting and inviting. My signature aisle was

the one in the back corner: young adult fiction. I spent my days reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid,

Dork Diaries, and yearned to grow older so I could read my older sister’s copy of The Hunger

Games. By the time I was finally old enough to digest the mature themes of children killing

children in an arena, I had been gifted an iPad.

This iPad introduced me to the vastness of the internet and from there, I have not been

able to look back. I went from a bookworm to an “iPad Kid”. Rather than digesting stories from

pages, I immersed myself in YouTube content. My iPad and I were so inseparable that my mom

thought it was best to put some distance between us. I was devastated at my mom’s new rule of

only using the iPad on the weekends. I replaced one screen with another, that being TV, and left

my books to collect dust. My internet usage only accelerated when I got to middle school

because my parents thought it was time I got a cellphone. My home screen grew cluttered with

Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter. Typing with my thumbs was as synonymous as

writing with a pencil.

This past December, my sister went into my room and shoved her phone to my face. It

was a TikTok video of someone reviewing Normal People by Sally Rooney. I nearly rolled my

eyes at how my sister grew victim to the trends that this book was producing. “Let’s go to Barnes

and Noble,” my sister said. Upon walking through the store’s door, one of the first tables was

marked with a sign that said “BookTok”. This table was a reference to the plethora of books that

had gained popularity on one of TikTok’s many subcultures which focused on reading. I

examined the table and my eyes situated on The Summer I Turned Pretty. I shocked myself and

1
 5013676

read the entire book in one day. Maybe it was the fact I was reading a book about summer love

in the middle of December, but I could not help enthralling myself in those pages. I felt like a

little girl reading in her room again. Shortly after, I bought the remaining books in the trilogy and

I deleted TikTok. I no longer wanted to spend my freetime mindlessly scrolling on my phone,

but I cannot deny that the app helped me rediscover a hobby I once loved. The fact that my sister

and I were so easily influenced to read due to TikTok made me wonder: How does social media

affect literacy in youth?

In many parts of the world, reading and writing is seen as a privilege rather than a right.

Hundreds of millions of people are illiterate and out of school. These numbers are concerning

due to how much reading and writing is used in people’s everyday lives. Literacy serves as an

important skill that stretches far beyond school borders. It was found that, “... over USD one

trillion has been estimated as the cost of illiteracy to the global economy” (Cree, et al.). Illiteracy

does not just impact an individual, but the entire world. By not teaching children and adults how

to read and write, nations lose capital that can otherwise be advantageous to their societies. For

example, those who are literate and thus further educated, are more sought after so they can be a

part of strong workforces. Success in such businesses leads to a more prosperous economy. It is

important to note that illiteracy is not fully the fault of those who chose not to apply themselves

when learning to read and write. Illiteracy can be tied to factors such as poverty,

intergenerational illiteracy, and educational neglect (“Child Illiteracy in America…”). Children

who may be disadvantaged, like those in low-income households or with learning disabilities,

need further support in order to build strong literacy skills. Additionally, the increased usage of

technology as a method of education is not a realistic option for families who are struggling

2
 5013676

financially due to the costly price of devices such as computers and tablets. Literacy is an

important tool that must not be neglected in this ever changing world.

The increased usage of technology has not only proven to be efficient and convenient, but

has also made large gains amongst youth. One study discovered that, “... less than twenty percent

of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for pleasure, while more than

eighty percent say they use social media every day…” (Sliwa). It is unsurprising that teenagers

are greatly attached to their phones because of how accessible social media and technology has

become for the age group. The modern world has made it so that children are exposed to screens

at increasingly younger ages, which supports the commonly held belief that children are more

likely to be interested in learning when given the opportunity to do so online. While this may be

true for some children, it does not produce the best outcomes: “Stanford researchers find that

reading fluency among second- and third-graders in the U.S. is roughly thirty percent behind

what would be expected in a typical year” (Spector, Yeatman). Consequences of the Coronavirus

pandemic, in which schools across the United States were forced to conduct classes online for a

prolonged period of time, has been found to put students behind. Even though switching to

online school was the convenient option, its impacts will have lasting effects on today’s youth. In

a personal interview with middle school English and history teacher, Rachel Pappas, she spoke

of what she noticed about her students after coming back from the pandemic’s lockdown: “And

we were talking about how I think they missed fourth and fifth grade. So, the ability to like work

through projects, and time management, and all of those skills were not very well developed, and

they’re still working on those”. Switching from in-person school to distance learning did not

provide students with enough time to fully grasp concepts, as suggested by the Stanford

University research. This is especially true amongst younger children as they are learning

3
 5013676

foundational skills that are key to mastering in order to succeed in later grade levels. In Steve

Talbott’s, Devices of the Soul: Battling for Ourselves in an Age of Machines, Talbott writes

about the present and imminent dangers that technology is bringing upon society. Talbott

explains, “[the computer] disconnects words from the speaker, ignores much of our nonverbal

communication, and occludes the larger environment that is always speaking and spoken through

us” (119). Talbott informs readers that computers are leading society to become less connected

in the physical sense. By eliminating the face-to-face aspect of communication, the result is

disconnection amongst human relationships. This disconnect comes from the fact that there is no

way to share the connection of reading someone’s emotions in the present time. This was proven

to be true during the time of distance learning as explained by Pappas. The physical aspect of

learning was lost and caused drawbacks once it was finally deemed normal again. With the rise

of technology and social media in the modern world, it is put into question whether or not

technology can be used to solve academic endeavors.

Social media is commonly reduced down to being a way to chat with friends or share

funny videos. However, this is not entirely true. Oliver James, a TikTok personality, has used the

app to document his reading journey. He explains in an interview with National Public Radio

that he became illiterate as a child after not receiving support in school for his learning disability.

He spoke about his experiences with the app: “‘So I went on BookTok and told everybody, and

then they sent me a bunch of books on [obsessive-compulsive disorder] … it would just cause

me to have these mood swings constantly. And now I get to sit back and say, hey, there's a book

that's teaching me how to control that’” (Fadel, James). James posted a video to social media

about how his OCD has been negatively affecting his life and was met with supportive

comments. His time with TikTok challenges Talbott’s earlier statement of how computers can

4
 5013676

lead to disconnection. Even though James was communicating with people through a screen,

they were still able to help him practice and improve his literacy, while also helping him further

understand his condition. The promises that social media can bring to improving literacy was

further examined: “... the Facebook platform assisted students in developing their grammar,

vocabulary, and writing, as it helped them share information and acquire new knowledge” (Slim,

Hafedh). The University of Tabuk in Saudi Arabia sought to find out whether or not there were

benefits in using social media as a tool in teaching Saudi Arabian students English. They found

that outside of class, the students took it upon themselves to participate in English speaking

Facebook groups. This furthered their studies because they were putting in additional work to

learn the language. The students’ behavior mirrors the extra practice children should be doing in

order to strengthen their reading and writing skills. In another study, “Students who are active

online are significantly more likely to keep a journal or write short stories, letters or song lyrics

than those without a social networking presence” (“Can Social Networking Boost Literacy

Skills?”). Being active online and writing creatively are confirmed to have a connection. By

exploring horizons online, students are more likely to draw creative inspiration from outside their

typical boundaries. The mindset of liking to read and write is essential in ensuring that students

continue to do so in their own time outside of school. When interviewing Diana Zimmer, an

elementary school librarian, she shared that her schools use a program called Epic: “But it's

basically a massive database of books. So if a student is sitting at home on a computer, and they

have no books. They don't have a parent who will take them to a library or can't take them to a

library. It's an amazing free database that students have access to books. That's an amazing

advancement in technology”. Zimmer believes that there is value in using technology for such

means like reading. By having access to such texts, using technology becomes much more

5
 5013676

productive. For some, social media is a valuable tool that can be used to improve and promote

literacy.

Despite all this research, the effectiveness of using social media to teach literacy is still in

question. The same study conducted by the University of Tabuk also concluded that, “...

students, generally, do not use social media for academic reasons, and that the applications they

have recourse to do not match their academic level, as they tend to be simple and therefore do

not necessitate high intellectual aptitude” (Slim, Hafedh). The additional practice that the

students are doing serves little negatives, but does not challenge them enough to a caliber in

which their skills are steadily improving. While social media can be used academically, it is

difficult to ensure that it will be and is effective for every student. Pappas explained her

classroom’s technology policy and her stance on social media:

Well part of it is that I don’t want them [using social media] in class, that’s for sure. If

they’re Snapchatting people, it’s going to some other class and distracting some other

student, in some other teacher’s class, which is inconsiderate and rude to the other teacher

and other human. But, I also feel like with my own kids, how all consuming social media

is. Even from my own experience, I hate how it is such a mind suck and can eat your

brain and your soul. It’s kinda scary at how easy it is to kinda just go down that rabbit

hole of, like, scrolling through… I think social media is kinda a slippery slope, but I

definitely don’t want it in my classroom.

Pappas also does not see the benefits of using social media for academic reasons as it simply

poses a distraction and can negatively affect one’s mental health. Classroom disturbances that are

brought upon using social media is a valid concern that many students fail to recognize. The

University College London observed that, “... by their teenage years, children were more likely

6
 5013676

to avoid homework or reading books in favor of social media and video games'' (Peart). The idea

that social media is a distraction from further learning is continuously reinforced. Thus, there

appears to be more effective ways to teach and improve literacy, like simply reading a book or

doing assigned homework. When asking Zimmer what she thinks is the best way to teach

literacy, she responded, “So I do think that a book is probably more important than a piece of

technology at the younger grades. You know, they just need to know how to read”. Physically

picking up a book and reading straight from the text is an important motion that young students

must grow accustomed to. A student who is comfortable and confident in their reading skills are

more likely to be well-rounded academically, excel, and think of school as something enjoyable

rather than a chore. Using social media to promote literacy is widely believed by educators to not

be a reliable way to teach children due to the distractions it can bring.

Technology is not going anywhere, despite how scary or confusing it may be. Society is

constantly looking towards technological advancements: “In Scotland, new curriculum literacy

guides specify that children should be familiarized with new media and taught modern

communication methods so that they will be able to function in today’s workplace” (“Can Social

Networking Boost Literacy Skills?”). Even though technology and social media are the

unconventional methods to teaching literacy, society has grown accustomed to such

advancements that it is believed to be important enough to be taught in schools. Topics like

digital literacy and social media literacy have also been making their way into school

curriculums in order to practice internet safety and how to identify reliable sources. Furthermore,

social media platforms have proven how strongly they can affect a product’s overall sales.

TikTok’s creators on “BookTok”, a reading subculture on the app, have an undeniable impact on

what they think people should read next: “According to NPD BookScan, which tracks print

7
 5013676

copies of books sold at most U.S. retailers, ‘The Song of Achilles’ is selling about ten thousand

copies a week, roughly nine times as much as when it won the prestigious Orange Prize”

(Harris). The Song of Achilles was published in 2011 and received the Orange Prize in 2012.

Today, the book has sold over two million copies and has accumulated over 208 million views

on TikTok’s hashtag system. Not only does TikTok influence book sales, but the popularity

amongst the books that are being promoted are leading to larger projects like movie and TV

show adaptations. For example, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han was published in

2009, but was greenlit as a TV series in 2021, twelve years after its initial release. It is no

coincidence that a book series over a decade old was given a new life. Another social media app

that influences book sales is Goodreads. The app acts as a simple way for readers to track their

reading progress, review books, and discover new books to read. However, it is not solely

limited to bookworms. Authors and publishers alike commonly use the app to gather feedback

and examine user trends that can later be used to sell more books. Unfortunately, with any social

media platform, negativity and threatening user actions can turn the space toxic, but does not

make the app completely unusable to its millions of profiles. The impact that social media and

technology has is evident and affects everyone’s everyday lives.

Social media has a great influence in child literacy. Whether it be positive or negative,

the dominance that social media has on youth does not possess any plans to slow down.

However, this exact speed is what makes educators turn away from its academic possibilities.

The endless curiosity that children have, which fuels their motivation to explore the internet’s

similar endlessness, is bound to create distractions and problems. It is nearly impossible to

regulate user action, but depending on the child, social media can turn out to be a great learning

tool. Literacy should be a skill that every human has mastered, especially children in order for

8
 5013676

them to be successful later on in school and in life. Today’s youth are tomorrow's leaders. By

providing them with proper education that fulfills their learning needs, the world will be in great

hands. Unconventional forms of learning may feel threatening, but it is important to embrace

them if benefits are a possibility.

9
 5013676

Works Cited

“Can Social Networking Boost Literacy Skills?” The Alberta Teachers' Association, The

Alberta Teachers' Association, 2009,

https://legacy.teachers.ab.ca/Public%20Education/ResourcesforParents/

ParentFriendlyArticles/Pages/

CanSocialNetworkingBoostLiteracySkills.aspx#:~:text=The%20National%20Literacy

%20Trust%20found,confident%20in%20their%20writing%20abilities. Accessed 23

February 2023.

“Child Illiteracy in America: Statistics, Facts, and Resources” Regis College, Regis

College, 28 Sep. 2021,

https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/child-illiteracy/. Accessed March 20 2023.

Cree, Anthony , et al. “The Economic & Social Cost of Illiteracy: A Snapshot of

Illiteracy in a Global Context.” World Literacy Foundation, World Literacy Foundation,

Sep. 2022,

https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/The-Economic-Social-

Cost-of-Illiteracy-2022.pdf. Accessed March 20 2023.

Harris, Elizabeth A. “How Crying on TikTok Sells Books.” The New York Times, The

New York Times, 20 Mar. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/20/books/booktok-

tiktok-video.html. Accessed 10 February 2023.

Fadel, Leila, and Oliver James “A star on TikTok's BOOKTok is using the platform to

improve his reading skills.” NPR, National Public Radio, 20 January 2023,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A733906452/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=bookmark-

SUIC&xid=a4010df5. Accessed 10 February 2023.

10
 5013676

Pappas, Rachel. Personal Interview. February 27 2023.

Peart, Thom. “Study Finds Social Media May Be Causing Lower Literacy Levels in

Children.” For Reading Addicts, For Reading Addicts, 24 August 2018,

https://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/language/study-finds-social-media-may-be-causing-lower-

literacy-levels-in-children/. Accessed 20 March 2023.

Slim, Hadoussa, and Menif Hafedh. “SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT ON LANGUAGE

LEARNING FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES: A STUDY IN ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION.” The Journal of Teaching English with Technology, University of

Tabuk, 2017, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1204643.pdf. Accessed 7 February 2023.

Sliwa, Jim. “Teens Today Spend More Time on Digital Media, Less Time Reading.”

American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 20 August

2018, https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/08/teenagers-read-book. Accessed

31 January 2023.

Spector, Carrie, and Jason Yeatman. “New Stanford study finds reading skills among

young students stalled during the pandemic.” Stanford News, Stanford University, 9

March 2021, https://news.stanford.edu/2021/03/09/reading-skills-young-students-stalled-

pandemic/. Accessed 9 February 2023.

Talbott, Steve. Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines.

Sebastopol, O'Reilly Media, Inc., 2007.

Zimmer, Diana. Personal Interview. March 17 2023.

11