The modern digital world has made readers a dying breed. Where once stood a culture of reading, now stands trends dominated by a culture of short-form content. The primary reasons for the decline in reading culture can be attributed to various factors: busy lifestyle, information overload and a general lack of interest.
A lack of interest in reading can be due to a lack of topic relevancy. This can be blamed on institutions mainly recommending age-old classics, which might not interest the child. Discussing books among friends, librarians and teachers can help students to pick a book they might find interesting.
A lack of interest in reading among the populace can have various detrimental factors, like intellectual stagnation, social isolation, reduced attention span and a narrow perspective. The loss of reading also creates a lack of empathy, which can be witnessed in modern society. The world is more divided than ever, with a sharp antagonism among people with different views being witnessed, which is exploited by various public figures to use fear-mongering and promote their own dangerous agendas.
International Association of School Librarianship celebrates October as International School Library Month. It is an annual celebration of school libraries worldwide, and the role they play in helping the development of students. The theme for this year is “The School Library: My Happy Place Where Creativity and Imagination Flourish."
In this article, we will look at why reading is important and as a bonus, we will include some recommendations for teenagers and children alike to read:
Strengthens Your Brain
A study conducted by Gregory S. Berns, Kristina Blaine, Michael J. Prietula, and Brandon E. Pye of Emory University, used MRI scans to measure the effect of reading a novel on the brain. It was found that as the story progressed and tension arose, more areas of the brain lit up with activity. Doctors at Cleveland Clinic, also recommend reading to children in their infancy. Reading to babies helps to boost language skills, increases bonding and leads to emotional development and academic success.
Increases Empathy
Reading about the experiences of characters makes you receptive to their feelings and pain. This was even confirmed by David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano of The New School for Social Research. This ability is called ‘Theory of Mind’, a set of skills vital for building, navigating and maintaining social relationships.
For example, A person with negative perceptions of mental health might learn to empathise with people suffering from them, after reading about a character suffering from them. Reading about a character with mental illness will help the reader to understand the emotional turmoil they are going through. Similar feelings and empathy can be felt while reading about characters belonging to different races, cultures, and genders.
Maintains Cognitive Health Even in Aging Populations
To keep your mind active and engaged as you grow older, reading has been recommended by National Institute on Aging. A study in 2013 by Rush University Medical Centre also confirmed that people engaged in mentally stimulating activities are less likely to show signs of cognitive diseases like dementia.
Reduces Stress
Even 30 minutes of reading has been shown to have a positive effect on health. A study done in 2009, shows that reading for half an hour can lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress. Research by the University of Sussex also confirmed that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%.
Recommendation:
As we have inculcated the reasons to pick up a book, we would like to suggest some books that might help children and teens to develop empathy:
- Thousand Splendid Suns
- Harry Potter Series
- The Fault in Our Stars
Age Rating: 13+
Themes: History of Afghanistan, Suffering, Female Friendship, Abusive Marriage, Gender Relations
Age Rating: 9+
Themes: Friendship, Confronting Fear, Love, Fate, Acceptance/Tolerance
Age Rating: 12+
Themes: Mental Health, Eating Disorder, Guilt, Body Image (Body Dysmorphia)
Child Help Foundation understands the importance of reading and learning. In the past, Child Help Foundation has distributed books and has made efforts to help children with education. So far, Child Help Foundation has helped 4,86,141 children with quality education.
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