6 Reasons Why We Need to Read Books.
We have many options when it comes to how we spend our free time. Why read a book when there are movies, TV series, video games and more forms of entertainment to enjoy? What exactly do we stand to gain from reading books? Is it just a matter of pleasure, or are there more obscure benefits beyond the enjoyment factor? The honest answer is a resounding “yes.” Here’s a number of reasons why picking up a book could be beneficial to you.
1. It Improves Memory
Research has shown that consistent and habitual reading, no matter how little can help improve your memory.
In the book Proust and the squid: the science of the reading brain, Maryanne Wolfe explains that when you read, you have more time to think. Reading gives you a unique pause button for comprehension and insight. On the other hand, with oral language when you watch a movie or listen to a tape, you don’t necessarily press pause.
Reading generally stimulates the part of the brain responsible for attention and memory. As you read through a text, your mind will need to remember what’s happened before in order to follow the narrative or theme that is being addressed by the writer.
This increased activity stretches the brain and keeps the memory sharp
2. Expanding Your World
Many of us, at some point have all wondered what it would be like to live in a different place, engage in different activities, or even be a completely different person. For brief moments of time, books release us from the constraints of our own reality, transporting us into someone else’s real or imaginary one. When you experience life through the eyes of another, it expands your thinking, provides new perspectives to view life’s most common situations. Books provide an avenue to have experiences that we haven’t had the opportunity to.
3. Helps With De-stressing
As students, stress is a common problem that we all face and we’re constantly searching for effective ways to deal with it. Research has found reading to be one of the best methods of stress control. A study conducted by Mindlab International at the University of Sussex in 2009 discovered that after people read quietly for just six minutes, their heart rates slowed down and they had less muscle tension. Their stress levels reduced by an impressive 68%. By focusing their minds on what they were reading, people could distance and distract themselves from anxious thoughts and feelings.
4. Improved Writing Skills and Vocabulary
Although most of our communication in this era has been reduced to text messaging and stickers and emojis, the age-old art of real communication and writing is still as essential to our existence. It has not lost its importance. Readers have been found to have a wider, more varied range of words to express themselves with and get their points across. The more you read, the more familiar you become with structure, character development, and writing styles. Even if you don’t need to write much in your daily life, reading prepares you for when you might need to, whether it’s an essay, personal note/letter, or journal entry.
5. It Improves Your Creativity and Imagination
Reading a book is a unique experience. Your mind gets to create a personalized image in your head when you read a written description of a place or an event, as opposed to having the image placed in front of you when watching TV. “When we read fiction, we practice keeping our minds open because we can afford uncertainty." Maja Djikic a psychologist at the University of Toronto, tells Mental Floss. It forces your imagination and creativity in understanding the worlds described by the writer.
6. You Absorb More From a Physical Book
Some studies suggest students take in more information from paper than from screens, underlining the case for picking up a paperback rather than an e-book. One study in Norway showed students who read texts in print scored better on reading comprehension tests than students who read digitally.
Studies have also shown that readers may not comprehend complex or lengthy material as well when they view it digitally.
And that’s why we’ve provided a collection of paperback books for you here at our Nipi library. Check it out here