Why Don't More Teens Read YA?

I've recently read some pretty astonishing figures (to me at least) that half of YA books are bought by adults. It's crazy because YA seems to be blossoming, but not because teens are more into books than ever.

I grew up reading a lot of books, and I've always wondered why other people don't do the same. I know logically that some people feel the same way about reading as I do about movies- usually an awful experience, except for some special cases. I know it's an intense time commitment that most people my age aren't prepared to make often. 

Maybe most teens are too busy on social media or browsing YouTube videos endlessly to read a book. It could be that school is killing all free time (in some cases, it actually is) and teens need to relax with something that doesn't make them think. 

I've had a lot of people ask me how I read so fast. The truth is, I don't actually read that fast. If you were to time how long it takes me to read a page, it's honestly nothing impressive. The difference is that I started out reading in loud places, and learned how to focus single-mindedly on the task at hand. I don't often reread because I make sure to pay attention the first time, and I know that's something a lot of non-bookish people have trouble with. 

The other side of the coin is that teens read much more than you'd think. I read so much that sometimes I underestimate my peers that don't have a book with them at all times. People that read less are so much more picky with what they read, because it's more rare for them to have a book and they want it to be a great experience. 

It shouldn't be as shocking as it was to hear the other day that The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is circulating among classmates. I've been telling everyone to read this book for a long time now, but it's only now that the casual readers at my school are getting into it. It's actually a very strong domino effect. 

One person read it, gushed about it to another, maybe someone else then read it, and all of a sudden it becomes something everybody is doing. This reaffirms my belief that it's very rare for people to actually hate reading. Most people just haven't found the right book. 

As a book blogger and book lover, I try to push books at people who I think would like them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It does feel nice to discuss a book with a friend who read it just because you told them to, and they loved it. 

So what do you think? Are other people more bookish than we think? Why don't teens read more?

-P.E.