Why You Must Reading Books In The Digital Age

Why Reading Books Is A Must In The Digital Age

A huge percentage of people probably can’t recall when last they took the time out to read an actual book. On the other hand, almost everyone would have scrolled through social media on their phone in the last couple of hours. There are so many reasons why reading books is an essential aspect of our lives and it could be even more important in today’s world. Here’s why reading is so important in the digital age.

Notifications Over Knowledge

To anyone who is reading this on a cellphone, here is a small challenge. Can you get through this without having at least one notification pop up on your screen? If you answered yes, you are certainly in the minority. The once transforming art of reading has been rendered into nothing more than a tedious chore for most, instead of a powerful tool you can use to improve thinking amongst many other personal qualities. Have we really decided that notifications are more important than knowledge?

Knowledge is an invaluable weapon to have in your arsenal. Reading is the most direct way of attaining knowledge as the visual stimulus is only part of learning and reading is a sign that you are trying to grow and improve yourself. The most successful people you know are readers to some degree and almost every one of them can reference at least one book that they swear by. Books give us knowledge unlike anything else and many people agree that books helped them get to where they are.

Reading Can Take You Places

A reader's ability to think critically is a significant contribution to their life. However, that is only a fraction of the benefits reading offers. Reading fiction will open your mind while expanding your creativity. New and fantastical thoughts will blossom, and you will find your life becomes less dull. The wonders of the fiction world can take you places non-fiction can not. While non-fiction books are undoubtedly just as beneficial, they do conform to the parameters of the real-word. Whereas fiction books have no rules to abide by.

Ultimately, fiction offers you an infinite amount of possibilities and scenarios to fit your exact taste. In the same way that a good movie transports you out of your reality, books can take you anywhere in the world, and further. Try to find at least one book that resembles a series or movie that you love and you might be pleasantly surprised by the magic that simple words on a page can evoke.

Resting With Your Devices

It may not come as much of a surprise that your screens are distractions that hinder getting the best sleep possible!

Science lesson: The sleep-wake cycle follows a circadian rhythm that is influenced mainly by sunlight. Our alertness increases when the sun is out and decreases when the sun goes down. The body produces a chemical called melatonin, which induces sleepiness when it is dark outside. The short-wavelength blue light found on some e-readers, smartphones, tablets, computers, and television screens resembles sunlight. This light deceives our bodies into believing that it's still daytime, which enables the mind to keep its alertness at higher levels and, in turn, can have adverse effects on our sleep cycles.

A book, fortunately, does not have any light, and reading a book at night has been proven to help you fall asleep quicker. If you want a good night’s sleep, then the best thing that you can do is to stop scrolling senselessly, looking at memes and addictive content when you could be reading.

Additionally, some studies suggest that students absorb more information by holding a paper book than by reading on a screen, further supporting the argument for picking up a physical book rather than reading electronically. Research has been done internationally in which students completed a comprehension test, with half completing the comprehension on a digital platform and the other half on paper. The results showed that students working on paper scored higher than those on screens.

Ready To Sound Smarter Too?

As well as improving your emotional and cognitive intelligence, reading can also expand your vocabulary. As you age, it becomes increasingly important to develop the skills mentioned to navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution; your vocabulary is one of the most crucial skills to improve if you want to have the edge over most people.

In the professional world, having a good vocabulary can differentiate between nailing an interview and embarrassing yourself. Reading is an easy sure-fire way to improve your vocabulary and learn better phrases to use in social and professional situations. Even your typing will benefit greatly as you will find yourself repeating far fewer words while using complex details to increase the chances of your ideas and thoughts being read with a deeper level of understanding.

It cannot be overemphasized that succinct vocabulary is vital for understanding what is being read. Using a precise vocabulary improves all aspects of communication, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Why put yourself at an unnecessary disadvantage? Being the ignorant one is not always blissful.

No More Excuses

The increase in distracting technology has undoubtedly contributed to the decrease in the number of people reading books. However, it has also given us more reading options than we’ve ever had before. This technological revolution has enabled easy access to any title in the form of EPUBS, MOBI, AZW/AZW3, IBA, PDFs, and many more. This means that no matter what device you have, you will be able to access them.

Not only are these Ebook alternatives a fraction of the cost, but they also take out the need to carry a book which makes it perfect for those who travel. It may surprise you, but even a person with the most gridlocked schedule can read fifty books a year!

Writer Stephanie Huston proved it is possible when she tackled the 50 Books a Year challenge. Even with a full-time job and a busy schedule, she claims it has been nothing but beneficial to her sleep and thinking. Huston is making better use of her time than mindlessly scrolling social media, which she admittedly still loves to do.

Of course, this regiment would mean essentially reading a book every week. Naturally, not everyone is going to be as motivated as Stephanie. However, you now know what you are capable of, so there is no longer a reason to put it off any longer; find yourself the perfect Ebook today and you might be surprised how much you enjoy it.