“What are your hobbies?”
For pretty much my entire life, my answer to the classic icebreaker has been reading. It’s been one of my only reliable means of relaxation for as long as I can remember—the collection of books spilling off my shelves can attest as much.
The benefits of reading for fun, even occasionally, should be enough to get any college kid’s attention. It is scientifically linked to academic success, it can help ease your mind, improve time management, and even teach you empathy. Reading is quite literally good for your health.
To say that I am a proponent of reading would be an understatement, and I am certainly not the only one. Gen Z is turning toward reading more than ever before, cracking open physical copies of books at booming rates. But this turn reading revival has a gender bias.
For years now, men have been reading less than women, especially when it comes to fiction.
Some strong arguments point to the fact that reading is not often encouraged among young boys to the same degree that it is with young girls. There are a plethora of young adult books with girls as their target audience but far fewer for boys.
Young men are also encouraged to focus on hobbies that society deems “manly,” like sports. This early attitude shift away from reading is a critical reason why so many men aren’t inclined to pick up a book as adults.
Figuring out who you are in college feels nearly impossible. Men seem to be particularly struggling with this issue, with many college-age men feeling lost and unsure of where they fit into the world. Young men are finding ways to confront this issue, but usually not with reading.
Gen Z has rebounded the world of physical fitness after the pandemic. People have found a renewed understanding that taking care of one’s physical body is also taking care of one’s mental health. The world of physical wellness also offers community to many people lacking it.
So many of the men I know go to the gym as a way to relieve stress and better themselves. But for many, that is their only “healthy” outlet. Their leisure time is more likely to be dominated by something like video games.
Meanwhile, women are more likely to set aside time throughout the week to read. This can provide a second outlet for relaxation and a different sort of self-improvement. Allowing yourself to get wrapped up in a book means putting yourself into new worlds and perspectives. In my opinion, you’d be hard-pressed to gain the social awareness and reflection that reading provides through anything else.
Reading has allowed me to better understand the world and those around me. This understanding has allowed me to grow closer to myself and the person I want to be. There is absolutely no reason that these benefits should only be understood by one gender—in fact, men might need it the most.
