Give Your Brain a Workout
For kids, the benefits of reading are easily discernible. A better vocabulary, better writing and communication skills, and better performance in school all stand out as examples.
But what about adults? You’ve probably heard, at least once in your life, something to the effect of “if you don’t start young you won’t get the most out of it.” Does that apply to reading, as well?
The answer is: absolutely not, and we’ve got the science to prove it.
As reported by Healthline, researchers have documented many cases where reading provides marked benefits to the reader, no matter their age. Some of the findings included:
- Increased brain activity, especially in the somatosensory cortex, which responds to physical sensations such as movement and pain.
- Increased empathy through identification with characters in stories.
- Improved vocabulary and communication skills, which 69% percent of surveyed employers said they value when considering job candidates.
- Reduced stress, even compared to yoga or bouts of humor.
- Reduced symptoms from age-related cognitive decline, such as dementia.
But don’t think that the benefits of reading only pertain to typed or printed words.
“Some people have this stigma that audiobooks and other audio-based literature ‘don’t really count as reading.’ That couldn’t be further from the truth! Audiobooks definitely count as reading, and they share many of the same benefits as reading print books,” said Cassie Welch, a Children’s Librarian at the Edmondson Pike Branch Library, and the Coordinator for the Summer Reading Challenge.
In fact, as reported in Time magazine, studies have shown that the developmental gains between traditional reading and audio-based literature are marginal, at most. This is doubly true when reading for leisure.
So, prefer listening to an audiobook while you’re driving for your summer vacation? Don’t feel guilty and log those minutes!