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Nobody wants to learn about something they don't care about.
In other words, nobody learns by memorizing statistics or listening to presentations. This explains why students have become so unmotivated to genuinely learn about core subjects like math and history - why care about something you're never going to need outside the classroom?
The educational system is flawed in more ways than one, but the biggest flaw of all, it lacks basic care and compassion for the students. As a high school student myself, I rarely find myself truly interested in a topic because I fail to apply knowledge I gain in the classroom to the practical world - it serves no purpose to me.
While this reasoning may apply to learning geometry and hyperboles, it shouldn't apply to issues that everyone should be familiar with, such as mental health, especially amongst youth. The CDC shows that more than 1 in 5 youth have had serious mental illness, and yet these issues still don't get the recognition they deserve. I'm left remembering meaningless statistics, but I forget the importance of recognizing signs of mental illness and finding help. Those who need help are still struggling while those who do not are left with no significant takeaways.
There is an evident lack of empathy in our education, but the solution may just be right under our noses - books. We care when we read stories; we apply the knowledge we gain while reading to our practical lives. We learn better when we use empathy - reading helps us to do just that. Books that effectively convey the effects of depression by following the life of a relatable main character has an infinitely more powerful impact than learning about depression through a school-issued infographic. That's why fictional books like "Girl In Pieces" and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" received so much praise: they gave us, the youth, something to care about, they gave us something to remember. I can attest that from reading thought-provoking and engaging books about mental health I am left knowledgeable on the topic, but most importantly, I'm left applying this knowledge to my practical life. Both students and educators gain care and compassion for the issues they read about - leaving a much bigger and resounding impact from reading a book than any school presentation ever will.
But why? People, especially teens and preteens, want to feel like they belong. Those who struggle with mental health want to see pieces of themselves in literature while those who don't should grasp a basic understanding of the topic. People are naturally curious - we are inclined to learn about the things that truly interest us. Mental health may not interest everyone, but it is vital to society for youth to understand these issues. It is vital for us to know when to ask for help and to how to cope with mental illness - information best conveyed through storytelling.
We need to learn, but most importantly, we need to care. Reading books helps us do both.
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