Why I recommend Reading Short Stories, by Kavin Sivakumar

 Why I recommend Reading Short Stories

Kavin Sivakumar

Short stories are pieces of writing that are only a couple of pages long, and are made to be able to read in one sitting. Short stories have a main plot, a couple of characters, one area where the story takes place, and one important theme that is seen throughout the entire story. In addition, short stories usually have a twist or surprise at the end which makes reading the book really interesting since you never know what is going to happen next. I believe that short stories allow people to see things in a different way, and this will allow them to be a more understanding and sympathetic person.

One of the main reasons I recommend reading short stories is because it can be used to reduce your screen time. I believe that many people my age and even some adults rely too much on their phone. In addition, most people my age use their phone for unnecessary purposes such as watching Tiktoks, instagram reels, etc and I believe that we can replace this screen time by reading short stories. Short stories offer an engaging way to spend your time, and they also tell important lessons that can change the way you see certain things. Social media might seem like the better option, but it is actually worse because it is addicting, it can affect the way you view yourself, and you can gain FOMO from always being on the app (Dalomba). On the other hand, short stories can help you better yourself and the way you look at yourself and other people. Also, short stories require you to take some time to process what you just read before jumping into the next story, which means you won’t waste your time by reading too many short stories.

Another reason I recommend reading short stories is because it gives you the opportunity to see the kind of genre that you are interested in. There are many short stories in many different genres, and if you are exploring different genres short stories are a great place to start since you can finish reading them in one sitting to see if that specific genre fits you. Reading novels will take multiple days, and if you don’t like the genre you have wasted your time since you read a book you weren’t interested in. However, if you read a short story to find the genre you like you can then find a novel in that same genre, and you can be certain that the novel you picked will keep you engaged.

Overall, I believe short stories are great to read if you have some free time or are interested in finding a genre you like. The pacing, length, and lessons that are found in all short stories make them interesting and engaging to read. Also, short stories are a great way to reduce or replace your screen time since they aren’t as addicting as social media. All of these factors are what make short stories amazing to read.

       Work Cited

Dalomba, Frances. “Pros and Cons of Social Media.” Brown University Health, Brown University Health, 1 Mar. 2022, https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/social-media-good-bad-and-ugly. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.