Why is reading so beneficial to us as a species not just in
terms of the intellectual rewards gained but also for our wellbeing and
happiness? How do we get young people in
particular to engage with books and reading over more passive activities like
watching the TV or looking at a smartphone?
Reading is the key to happiness.
 |
| Toasty toes and an improved mind |
Well, perhaps this is overstating it a little bit, but
certainly reading for pleasure is widely acknowledged as one of the great
pastimes, and one which in the face of ever-increasing distractions in the form
of glowing screens is becoming less and less popular. This is a shame and it is also worrying. The TES recently published a list compiled by
teachers of 100 books that students coming out of KS2 and KS4 should have
read. I have only read about a third of
the books on each list and I am now making it my mission to read the rest. My e-reader is positively brimming with out
of copyright free of charge classics ready to go. Most of my students have read only four or
five, and many of those under the auspices of the classroom rather than a
general desire to read. ‘She/he is a
reluctant reader’ is a familiar refrain and when asked why, those ‘reluctant’
individuals will say reading is ‘boring’.
Again, an all too familiar response.
To begin with, recent studies have confirmed what so many of
us who have worked in education have been saying for a long time. Reading makes you smarter. It’s not simply learning the facts of
non-fiction texts, or processing the concepts involved, the familiarity with
syntax, an expansion of vocabulary, or even an exposure to varied tones and
voices, that improves the mind. It is
all of these things and so much more.
Reading gets us to consider different viewpoints, to empathise with unfamiliar
characters and situations outside of our experience. We create pictures in our minds when we read
and this is what makes reading so much more satisfying than passively viewing a
screen. Furthermore, reading helps to make us more
well-rounded individuals, increases our awareness of others, and subsequently a
connection with others. Connection to
others’ lives is one of the cornerstones of a happy existence. And you can’t argue with the fact that more
socially aware, empathetic people tend to have more fulfilling and successful
lives overall. Yes, reading is more
active and involves a modicum of effort that passive viewing does not, but the
rewards are obvious.
These studies have suggested that replacing a passive
activity with reading on a regular basis has startling effects on the
intellectual capacity of teenagers. It
has even been suggested that doing so can make the difference between one or
two GCSE grades. I believe that it is
not simply the intellect-boosting effects of reading that are responsible for
this, but also another benefit of reading – the calming of the mind. Overexposure to the light emitted from
screens on smartphones, tablets, computers and TV screens upsets our circadian
rhythms, which in turn interferes with our sleep length and quality. A tired mind is a stressed mind, and one
which struggles to cope with other intellectual demands placed on it at school
or at work. Conversely, reading has an
almost meditative effect on the mind which in our increasingly overstressed and
overstimulated lives is an incredibly powerful thing. If we as adults or as children read more, we
are likely to become more relaxed individuals as well as clearer thinkers. Relaxed people are happier people.
Now for the tricky bit; how do we get young people who have
even more pressure and exposure to technology and the distractions this
provides to disengage with the phone, the ipad, the computer, the TV, long
enough to become absorbed in a good book, i.e. not reading a few pages and
declaring it ‘boring’ because little pixelated characters have not leapt off
the screen and done a song and dance routine under a banner of alternating
emojis? I might suggest a trip to the
local library but I’m sure in most cases this would be greeted with the sorts
of heavy-shouldered sighing and rolls of the eyes that would make Kevin and
Perry look like attentive, model students.
Well done if you’ve got them there though, and I would then engage the
services of the coolest looking librarian in the vicinity to help them select
some books, although I appreciate this may be an oxymoron. I would certainly encourage careful selection
of reading material, as there really is such a thing as a boring book. Perhaps something to tie in with a movie or
TV series or dramatization would help, as familiarity with the story and
characters would be a bonus for youngsters who have not read for a long
while. If a passion for a particular
series of books is kindled, such as the Hunger Games or Harry Potter canon,
then try diversifying by drawing parallels between those highly favoured books
and a new title, such as an interesting character or theme.
I also believe that young people need to learn from
example. If you are asking your children
to read, then you should be reading too, perhaps even the same book so that you
can discuss it as you go along or afterwards.
At the very least, try setting aside a few hours every week where all
electronic devices including the TV are switched off and all members of the
household are reading something. I have
been avoiding screens myself in the evenings for some weeks now in favour of
reading, and this change of habit has already helped me to sleep better and
feel more relaxed. Everyone will benefit
from this.
Here’s the really exciting part. Reading frees us. Reading makes us more aware of the subtleties
of language, making us critical thinkers as well as clear thinkers. If we read literature of quality on a regular
basis, we are far less likely to passively accept ideas as they are
simplistically presented to us in the mainstream media, by self-serving
politicians, by advertisers etc. We
become liberated as a result. We become
better communicators as well. Who is to
say that we may not have the next best idea that will help make this world a
better place? Who is to say that inside
you or your child is not the potential to make a significant and lasting change
for the better through communication of a key idea? Ideas will not come without reading as
reading is an exploration of the world of ideas.
So, reading is the key to happiness. I have convinced myself over the course of my
writing that my original assertion is correct and not an overstatement after
all.
Thank you for reading.
