Luke Bakic: The power and importance of reading | Luke Bakic | TEDxYouth@TBSWarsaw

Great readers make great writers, whilst great writers make great communicators, and great communicators make great persuaders. And you know what great persuaders make? They make good societies. And that's what this world needs. I think that it's totally crazy that all anyone ever talks about is games, TV shows, WhatsApp, Instagram, Bitmoji - I don't even know what that is; my brother just told me about it - WeChat, Kiki, Sarahah, and I could go on forever. Studies have shown that some kids these days even spend six and a half hours on a screen a day. I think we should draw attention to this problem. However, not reading can even result in making your brain less active or engaged. Just over the past year, I've enjoyed reading: 'Winnetou' by Karl May, the 'Harry Potter' series, with eight books, the Roald Dahl series, with 12 books, and 'The Unwanteds' series, with seven books. And many, many single books in between. Some I've liked less; some I've liked more. But they all took me for such an adventure. Ask my family members. I'm a truly unhappy child when I don't have a good book to read right next to me. I love reading in places like my bed, on the move while walking, in the toilet, in queues, in vehicles, but more importantly, at home. I hide behind various corners of my house, so nobody can find me and make me do anything else. Once I even hid behind a flower pot and pretended to be the flower, not moving at all. Nobody could find me for ages. It was hilarious. I read everywhere. So for all of you skeptical people out there, let me tell you, when you have a good book to keep you company, there is nothing better in the universe. It takes you to places where you can't go, and lets you meet people you can't meet. Reading is love in action. And the positives are endless. Like, I usually never have to study for spelling tests, and it makes my vocabulary so good that it easily impresses any grown-up. Sometimes, the first thing I know, I've just had a short conversation with a grown-up, and the next thing I know, there's a room full of adults talking about me. I can't imagine my life without a book. What I'm comparing is the lost art of reading, writing, communicating and persuading to some of the great societal ills of the text message, the tweet and the snap. While these wonders of modern technology have their place, we, the young generation, have to hold on to reading. It's the key to our kingdom. So go out there, find a good book, not just any book, the best are the ones recommended by another kid, and just go for it! (Applause)