If you’re like most 18-year-olds, you probably have your go-to genres and formats when it comes to reading. Maybe you love getting lost in epic fantasy worlds full of magic and adventure. Or perhaps you always grab the latest young adult fiction about characters facing real-world drama and romance. And of course, chatting with friends or scrolling through social media feeds fills much of your day.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying what you already know. But have you ever felt like you’re missing out on crucial perspectives? Like the books you read are entertaining but lacking something more? Opening yourself up to diverse texts and media can expand your mind in incredible ways.

See, here’s the thing… Reading is like traveling—just bookmarking the same destinations means you never experience the full scope of what’s out there. And exposure to different viewpoints teaches empathy, gives context about society, challenges prejudices, and inspires self-reflection. Things we could all use more of these days!

For example, a novel written by an author from a different racial or cultural background than one’s own can provide new perspectives on issues of race, privilege and identity. Reading such a book can put the reader in someone else’s shoes, allowing them to question assumptions or stereotypes they may have absorbed.

Discussions with people from different religious backgrounds can also open one’s eyes to how many people practice their faith peacefully, countering stereotypical portrayals in media coverage of religious extremism.

And learning about the experiences of previous generations, through books, films or conversations, can foster empathy about generational differences in attitudes, values and perspectives that may cause conflicts.

What moments like those teach is just how much people can center their own way of seeing things without realizing it. And books, movies, shows, music, and conversations reflecting different identities or backgrounds continued revealing my blind spots. Once I opened myself up to more diverse content, I couldn’t believe how much I’d missed out on before. And I felt almost angry no one had pushed me to expand my horizons sooner. The more perspectives, the fuller the picture of reality—and I had been getting a very narrow image. Diverse reads weren’t just about being “woke”; they made the world seem so much bigger and life far more multifaceted. I became fascinated learning about everything foreign to my direct experiences.

That curiosity has led me to poets discussing heritage or leaders reexamining political history… musicians pioneering new genres or filmmakers spotlighting overlooked groups… journalists reporting on global events as they unfold or photographers capturing protests. Whenever I hear perspectives missing from mainstream chatter, red flags go up signaling something important worth diving into.

And here’s the crazy part: the experiences so eye-opening to me are everyday realities for a lot of people. But parts of society are set up to muffle marginalized groups while boosting dominant views. So making an effort to seek out diversity actually just balances scales overwhelming tilted to only reflect certain segments of the population. Without consciously counteracting that imbalance by choosing inclusivity, we end up absorbing skewed messaging about whose voices matter.

Lately conversations about oppression, discrimination, erasure and inequality have broken into mainstream media coverage more than ever before. Terms like microaggressions or unconscious bias get thrown around a lot these days too. But those issues aren’t new; excluded communities have been shouting them for ages. And while symbolic displays like hashtag campaigns or TV specials shine temporary spotlights, we’ve still got a long way to go before reaching actual social equity, representation and opportunity.

Changing systemic problems takes more than just policy changes or corporate statements. Real transformation happens through radical empathy among all people. And reading widely gives the best chance of sparking that empathy.

So how can you start opening your eyes? Here are suggestions:

Follow creators with different backgrounds than you on social media. When their posts resonate, engage respectfully by asking questions or sharing support.

Choose books, magazines and movies featuring diverse characters, creators and subjects. Let favorites stretch your go-to genres and formats too!

Seek content both relating to your identities AND outside your firsthand experiences. No one viewpoint ever fully represents a whole demographic.

Look into subcultures you may not understand at first. Their art forms, vocabulary and trends have significance beyond just being cool.

Have gentle dialogues with people disagreeing respectfully. Listening for shared hopes underneath surface-level conflicts bears fruit.

Immerse fully into a culture foreign to you through local cuisine, music, art or historical sites. There’s no substitute for embodied cultural understanding.

No matter your identities or background, reading widely plants seeds helping equity and justice grow. And it all starts with picking up a new kind of book! Your eyes will open with every turn of the page.