The Importance of Reading For Adults
When people think of a decline in reading, they typically think of literacy rates dropping in children and teens. People are more prone to believe that young people are reading less nowadays because of social media and technology. Therefore, kids and teenagers are constantly given reminders about the benefits of reading by adults. However, adults seem to forget the message they tell young people, as they themselves often go for long stretches of time without reading. A Pew Research survey of adults in 2019 found that 27% of adults have not read any books in the past year, a number up from 19% in 2011. People may think that adults are exempt from reading because they have already formulated their base when they were young; however regular reading is beneficial to any age group.
There are numerous benefits to prolonged reading. For one, people gain much knowledge through reading. The diverse literary landscape offers information on various topics that can make a person more knowledgeable. Reading does not just involve books, but magazines, newspapers, and scholarly articles as well. Magazines provide people with vast information about popular culture such as which movies or celebrities impacted society. Newspapers and online news sites provide data on current events that are vital to understanding the current political landscape. It is essential for anyone to be well informed about the world and other important topics. For adults, it is especially important because they are the ones who vote on these policies and make real change.
Reading is also known for promoting a wider vocabulary; the consistent exposure to new words increases people’s mental dictionary. The result is people being able to use more words in conversation and writing, leading to a better articulation of ideas and thoughts. Any job requires adults to communicate efficiently and effectively with their co-workers and employers. An adult needs to be adept at saying the right words and phrases to communicate their ideas or questions to others so that people are not confused.
The brain also benefits from reading because of the exercise reading provides. To stay healthy, the brain needs to be active constantly. From a neurobiological standpoint, reading requires more engagement from the brain than processing speech and images. The brain can develop thicker cortices from reading which provide better protection against neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. For adults, such a benefit of reading is especially important, because age is associated with neurological decline.
For adults who often lead stressful lives, having hobbies and activities to reduce anxiety is essential. The Telegraph News Website explains the results of a 2009 study that found that reading is more effective at reducing stress than listening to music, having a cup of coffee, or going for a walk. People are able to distract themselves from the toils of everyday life by escaping into a world of fiction. When people read they forget about their paycheck, their chores, and their worries. Reading has actually been shown to slow someone’s heart rate, lower stress hormones, and ease tension in muscles. The effect of reading on sleep also contributes to a decline in stress. Reading before bedtime results in people’s brain associating reading with sleep. Therefore, a person will be able to fall asleep much more easily.
Although people might associate creativity with art rather than success or economic prosperity, Harvard Business Review states that the true reason behind America’s success has been its openness to new ideas that allowed it to mobilize the creative minds of its people. Paul Romer, a Stanford University economist, argues that great advances come from new ideas, and new ideas come from people. Every new design or product is the result of creativity. Reading has long been associated with creativity. When people read, their mind is transported to another world because of how engrossed they are with the book. The engagement of the brain with the novel enhances connectivity and improves brain function. Plus, the fictional and diverse stories people read opens their minds up to new ideas. It is the people who come up with unique and completely new ideas that truly change society. A labor market full of creative and innovative minds benefits society more than one that only has people wired to follow orders.
Adults need to be focused and concentrated on their work, in meetings, in appointments, etc. more than anyone, and a wandering mind can be dangerous for anyone. Reading has been shown to improve focus and concentration. A book or longer piece of text requires a person’s complete attention to fully absorb it which reduces the risk of multitasking or becoming distracted. The constant focus that is required to read a book or work eventually translates into a person finding it easier to remain concentrated on one thing.
The lifelong benefits that are guaranteed from reading are invaluable. The skills that a person accumulates from reading are much greater than the effort needed to put into reading. For reading to be effective, it needs to be done on a regular basis. People who were active readers when young are not guaranteed to retain the benefits they got from reading into adulthood. Reading needs to be a priority for everyone, not just children and teenagers.
