Essay: The benefits of reading

You’re in a race against time trying to stop the world’s most twisted villain from taking over the world while also finding out more about yourself in the process. Perhaps you’re exploring the Stonehenge and other wonders of the Earth. Maybe you’re trying to solve a crime that seems to be stumping even the best of detectives. How about battling an evil wizard with your own arsenal of magic spells, talking hats, and friends from people to magical creatures. Whatever it is, a wise man once said, “The more you read the more you know, the more you learn the more places you’ll go.” This quote is from Dr. Seuss, a world-renowned author, and captures the true image of books. Books are enjoyed all over the world by both kids and adults. They vary in a wide range and are read greatly no matter if they’re heartbreaking novels, world flipping non-fictions, imagination filled picture books, on-the-edge-of-your-seat adventure fictions, or even digital E-books, many people read them and they’re not going away anytime soon. People all around the world enjoy sitting on a comfy chair with a blanket draped across their lap, a good book in their hands, and a nice cup of hot cocoa. But did you know aside from recreation, books actually benefit you? It improves your health in numerous ways; exercising your mind, improving your knowledge, and, believe it or not, a longer life are all benefits of reading.

 

Knowledge refers to the condition of knowing something. It’s the information, principles, facts, and skills that are acquired through education and experience, a powerful thing and an important part of life, growing within time. Knowledge, in general, can be improved by reading. “Children’s books expose kids to 50 percent more words than prime time TV, or even a conversation between college graduates,” according to a paper from the University of California, Berkeley. The more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and they’ll inevitably make their way into your everyday vocabulary. Exposure to that new vocabulary leads to higher scores on all types of tests, not only vocabulary or reading tests. It turns out that reading helps in almost every area of smarts. Those that read have higher GPA’s, higher intelligence, and general knowledge than those that don’t. Plus, stronger early reading skills can induce higher intelligence later in life. Being well-spoken is a great help in any profession. It can even help you in your career, those who are well-read, well-spoken, and knowledgeable on a variety of topics are more likely to get promotions more quickly than those with smaller vocabularies and a lack of awareness in literature, scientific breakthroughs, and global events. Reading, in general, makes you smarter, and it keeps you sharp as you age. No matter what you’re wanting to do or become, you can’t do it without more knowledge. Reading is an excellent way to get where you’re wanting to go.

Reading also exercises your mind. Have you ever read an amazing mystery novel, and solved the mystery yourself before finishing the book? You were able to put critical and analytical thinking to work by taking note of all the details given and sorting them out to find the commonly asked question of ‘whodunnit’. That same ability to analyze details also comes in handy when it comes to critiquing the plot; determining if it was a well-written piece, whether the characters were properly developed, if the storyline ran smoothly, and if you enjoyed it. This critical thinking skill will help you be able to state your opinions clearly since you’ve taken the time to really contemplate all the aspects involved. Aside from producing an analytical thinking, reading also exercises your mind by making you more focused and in turn improving your memory. In our internet-crazed world, attention is drawn in a million different directions all at once as we multi-task through every day, trying to get all our work done. In a single 5-minute span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking their email, chatting/socializing, keeping an eye on social media, etc. This type of behavior causes stress levels to rise and lowers your productivity. While reading a book, all of your attention is focused on the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself in every detail you’re absorbing. You also have to remember an assortment of characters, their backgrounds, ambitions, and history as well as the multiple sub-plots that weave their way through every story. Your mind becomes more compatible with staying focused on a single piece of work so you can put more effort into it. When you put this focus, your brain can now remember these things with relative ease. Scientifically speaking, every new memory you create forges new brain pathways and strengthens existing ones, which assists in short and long-term memory recall as well as stabilizing moods.

Loving Books = Living Longer. It may seem unlikely that books can extend your life but it has actually been proved by scientists and follows to be true in multiple ways. A recent study was conducted by a student at Yale University. Results showed,“Book readers experienced a 20 percent reduction in risk of mortality over the 12 years of follow-up compared to non-book readers.” The researchers had collected 3,635 subjects above 50. They divided them into two groups: ones who didn’t read books, and ones who did. The researchers divided the readers’ group into those who read 3.5 hours a week, and those who read more than 3.5 hours. They said the findings were remarkable. “Book readers survived almost two years longer than those who didn’t crack open a book.”, stated the article. “In other words, just like a healthy diet and exercise, books appear to promote a ‘significant survival advantage’”, the author concluded. Not only is this true, but there are also multiple ways your life could be extended. For example, preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Just as physical activity strengthens the body, mental activity strengthens the brain. Therefore, the brain ages as it is used. Inactivity of the brain is the main risk factor for this common elderly disease. Since reading challenges the brain, adults who read as a hobby find the risk of this disease very slight. A chapter a day might keep the Grim Reaper away—at least for a little bit longer.