The popularity of reading has shifted endlessly throughout time. For quite some time, it’s been considered nerdy and academic. It’s probably good for you, but it’s something to do when you’re bored without your phone. However, over the past few years, reading has become, arguably, cool again.
Reading has been one of the greatest passions of my life, sometimes I think it’s poetic justice because my name is Paige. In my little elementary school bubble, reading was just about the coolest thing in the world. But as my world shifted in high school, the majesty that reading held dissipated.
I think a large part of that shift stems from required readings. In grade school, having students read classic and beautiful novels is a great idea in theory, but in practice, it yields results so far from the goal of fostering a love of reading in students. I’ve experienced and heard countless stories of assigned readings that are exciting in the beginning, but by the time all of the tests and assignments based on the book are done, it’s hard to find any energy to read anything for fun.
The act of reading itself is shown to have extensive benefits to your mental and physical health. “Research by Dr. David Lewis showed that reading as little as six minutes a day can reduce stress levels by 60 percent by reducing your heart rate, easing muscle tension and altering your state of mind” in a study by MHFA England in the work titled Why reading can be good for your mental health. Though, reading at any age invests in your later quality of life. How reading can improve and prevent Alzheimer’s, a study by Abigail- Rademacher “…showed that those who were avid readers experienced 30 percent less memory loss and had the least physical signs of dementia.”
Many recent studies have found that reading fiction also increases empathy. As stated quite plainly in Bookworms versus nerds: Exposure to fiction versus non-fiction, divergent associations with social ability, and the simulation of fictional social worlds, “[n]arratives are fundamentally social in nature in that almost all stories concern relationships between people; understanding stories thus entails an understanding of people, and how their goals, beliefs and emotions interact with their behaviors.”
Living in the digital age of reading brings its benefits. Audiobooks, developed from books on tape, have greatly improved the reading experience for many. Throughout our entire life, my brother and I have been very divided in our opinions of reading. As a young child, my brother was diagnosed with dyslexia, which created some obstacles that made reading less enjoyable.
Recently, he read Fahrenheit 451 for a school project and used the audiobook as a tool. This tool made the reading experience something filled with excitement, ease and joy. As an older sister who loves to read, I’m happy to say that since that project, our conversations about books have become more frequent and lengthy.
With the increasing popularity, there is an influx of discussion online about books and recommendations. Goodreads is an app that’s a personal favorite of mine that keeps track of the books you’re reading and recommends books based on your ratings of similar books. Through Goodreads, you can also connect with your friends and see what they’re reading. Book-related content on both TikTok and YouTube has increased gradually in recent years. You don’t need to look long to get recommendations on books, bookstores, playlists for reading and even inspiration for other similar hobbies.
While stores like Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million and Amazon make book shopping convenient, like every industry, there is an emphasis on shopping locally. Here in Tallahassee, we are lucky to have so many fantastic local bookstores. Midtown Reader and Common Ground Books are some of my personal favorites. Goodwill bookstores are also great places to get affordable books that sometimes show a beautiful history.
The price of books is higher than ever, and it’s not always the financially smart choice to buy all the books that you want to read. Resources like library cards and e-reading devices have also expanded the availability of books.
At your local library, you can sign up for a free library card, which allows you to check out books from any library within your library system. If you have a Leon County Public Library Card you can check out books from any public library within Leon County. Libby is a free app that is connected to your library card that allows you to check out eBooks and audiobooks available in your public library system and download them straight to your phone or other e-reading devices.
A Kindle is an eBook-reading device that connects to Amazon Prime. Through your Kindle, you can purchase books at discounted prices or even download some books for free. My favorite feature of my Kindle is that it can also connect to the aforementioned Libby, which allows you to download and read books available at your library for free.
With the upcoming cozy seasons and rainy days ahead of us, I hope that you’re inspired to pick up a book or two. Know that if you do, you’ll be even cooler than you are now.
This post was originally published on here
