37 Why is reading essential
Jahtae Madrigal
4/28/2024
English 101
Why is reading essential?
Since technology and social media have been introduced to most of the world, people have grown addicted and obsessed with their phones, and what seems like completely forgotten about reading. You might be wondering why reading is deemed as important, and while there are many reasons that I can give you on why reading is important, I will stick to a few just so you can get an idea. Reading allows for advanced brain function as well as growth and builds cognitive skills for all ages. Reading gives you an opportunity to explore your imagination and not only that, but you will need to have strong grammar and vocabulary in almost any profession you choose to go into. It is proven that reading also helps people with depression, anxiety, and ADHD to concentrate and become happier and healthier a lot faster than your phone will. I believe the more reading that is practiced whether it be a novel that is fiction, an article, or even an audiobook, the more educated and intellectual people can become. Let’s explore each of these reasonings that reading is important and should be more enforced in society and mostly in school.
If you start your kids young with reading, it can prepare them for when they start to work on their language skills and they may even become advanced in school. Studies show that “Reading to your baby as young as 10 months old can set the stage for strong language skills later on.” Not only is this effective for language skills but it also stimulates brain growth for kids and trains them to become attentive when they do start school. The article also states how reading expands your vocabulary and cognitive skills development, “Imagine the delight when your child discovers a new word in a story and excitedly incorporates it into their own conversations. This process of vocabulary expansion is a fundamental step in their language development, enabling them to communicate more effectively and articulately… reading stimulates your child’s growing mind in profound ways. It’s akin to a mental workout that flexes their memory, enhances their comprehension, and sharpens their problem-solving skills”. I believe reading should be the first thing introduced to children rather than phones and tablets and it seems that in this day and age it is the complete opposite. Have you heard of the phrase “iPad kids”? If not, an iPad kid is one who is glued to the iPad and wants to do nothing but watch videos and play games. Although the videos may be informative, they teach kids to be attached to social media and technology rather than reading and educating themselves. “Children have access to technology at a very young, impressionable age, and since technology is evolving, the long-term effects could continue to develop”.
If you suffer from anxiety or depression, it is proven that reading can positively affect you and you will start to notice that these disorders will start to become less and less of a burden on you. When you read you tend to be in your own world and some people might say reading is boring or time-consuming but once you find a book that you can enjoy or if you would prefer an audiobook which has the same effect as reading you can become more imaginative which might distract your brain from anything that is causing you to be depressed or anxious. “A 2009 study from Mindlab International at the University of Sussex found that reading was able to reduce stress levels by 68%. That made it more effective than other soothing activities like taking a walk or listening to music”. Whenever I find myself becoming stressed and I try going on a walk I am usually still thinking about what was making me stressed in the first place or when I listen to music it might have the same depressing energy which is not going to help take my mind off of the stress however, once I start reading my favorite books I can immediately enter a whole new reality that brings me peace and happiness. Besides the fact that reading is an excellent way to destress, reading is also beneficial for those with ADHD. People who suffer from this disorder tend to find it harder to concentrate and retain the information they were given. Studies show, “Today, ADHD is becoming more prevalent due to a rise in stress levels at all ages…, which is treatable through psychotherapy and raising concentration levels”. Although it may be hard to start reading if you have ADHD and have a hard time holding concentration, once you get into the groove and start reading at least five minutes a day and work your way up to twenty minutes it will start to become easy, and you will start to notice you’re training your mind to be able to focus on anything.
In conclusion, reading is essential to any and everyone and needs to be more enforced at a young age rather than phones and technology. Now I am not saying you need to read for hours every single day but just ten minutes a day can show major improvements. Reading allows people to be imaginative, and studies show that reading can lower both depression and anxiety. I would like to see a narrative of a kid being called a bookworm rather than an iPad kid and more kids introduced to reading at a younger age. The only effect that I see social media and technology having on young kids and adults is negative and only dividing us up. We all need to come together as one and understand that social media can be deceiving and almost brainwashing in a way that you start to become more ignorant and oblivious. I too like to be on my phone but there comes a time when you should take a break and work on your mental health or cognitive skills.
White, Addison. “IPad Kids Take Over.” Bobcat Multimedia, bobcatmultimedia.com/5309/thecolonnade/ipad-kids-take-over/#:~:text=So%2Dcalled%20%E2%80%9CiPad%20kids%E2%80%9D,especially%20when%20going%20into%20public. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
vallie, sarah. “Reading Books: Benefits for Mind and Body.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/balance/health-benefits-of-reading-books. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.