By TIFFANY WILLSON
Columnist
What is the title of the last novel you read? Chances are you cannot remember because it has been that long ago. If you do remember, there is a possibility it was your senior year of high school and was a required reading.
Christopher Bergland, author of an article on Psychology Today, cited a study that found 42% of college graduates will never read a book following their graduation. These people stop reading after they are no longer required to. Maybe they never found the joy that reading can bring, or they would rather watch TV instead.
With the rise in electronic production and use, it is more important than ever to reevaluate the important effects of reading on the brain. Most people would agree that teaching children to read is an incredibly important skill. They must learn how to read and comprehend words to get through school and to communicate to others, but the importance of reading goes far beyond that. But have you considered that reading may have more benefits than that or that it could be just as beneficial for adults?
Research has shown that the human brain was never really intended to read. Humans were born with the innate drive for survival. To hunt for food, build campfires and whatever necessary to ensure the continuation of our species.
Reading is a learned skill, and a difficult one to master. According to an article posted on the United Kingdom The Telegraph, when you read, you are utilizing portions of the brain that have an entirely different function. You also enhance connectivity between two different parts of your brain. These areas are the “left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with language comprehension, as well as in the brain’s central sulcus, which is associated with sensations and movement (Bergland).”
Reading is restructuring your brain! As cool as that is, reading a good novel also helps the reader put themselves into the footsteps or position of the protagonist. The ability to imagine yourself in the story, increases a person’s ability to emphasize with other, which is a more valuable presentation of the value of reading.
Reading require much more imagination and interaction than watching a television show. By visualizing scenes in a book and interacting as the main character, the reader shows an increased understanding of the characters beliefs and motivation, even if they differ from their own. Each of these aspects are minimalized, if not completely diminished, by watching TV instead.
After revisiting the importance of reading and understanding the profound affects it can have on my body and attitude, I challenged myself to read, at least, two books a month. I challenge you today, to continue reading when you can. To keep reshaping your brain and discovering new worlds!