A question we might often ask is “Is reading fiction even good for us?”. We feel like playing video games and watching TV is a waste of time, but most of us easily stay up till 4 in the morning reading fairytales. Clearly, this doesn't sound productive but it somehow doesn't feel unproductive too. Fiction is way more than just a piece of writing about how the lives of a few imaginary people unravel. Fiction is a powerful way to tap into one’s creative potential. In fact, several studies show how reading fiction can even act as a form of therapy.
Reading fiction puts us in the shoes of others, it helps enable the ability to show empathy and empathize with characters we've never met. Studies suggest that putting ourselves in the character’s skin activates the regions of your brain responsible for better understanding others and seeing the world from a new perspective. Compared to non-fiction reading and no reading at all, reading fiction also leads to small, statistically significant improvement in social cognitive performance. Reading also helps with overcoming prejudice and biases, which is certainly important in these times. Reading even a fantasy book, one such as Harry Potter can make a person more open-minded and inclusive. These books help improve the attitude towards more stigmatized sections of society. Reading improves your vocabulary, obviously, but fiction readers have a much enhanced vernacular. The website testyourvocab.com after conducting a study discovered a somewhat expected result of readers having a better vocabulary. Something which was less expected was the difference in the type of reading made, it shows fiction readers have a significantly larger vocabulary. A test by Emory university analyzed the brains of readers with those of non-readers. The test shows that a reader’s brain shows more activity than a non-reader’s; the left temporal cortex, associated with understanding language, of the brain is more active in readers..
This helps us establish that reading is good for empathy and language development, but reading fiction is also good for health in general. Reading fiction helps reduce stress levels more than going on a walk, listening to music or playing video games do. Research at the University of Sussex says suggests that “ Within 6 minutes of silent reading, participants’ heart rates slowed and tension in their muscles eased up to 68%. Psychologists believe reading works so well because the mind’s concentration creates a distraction that eases the body’s stress”. The same study shows that reading fiction before bed helps improve the quality of sleep. It helps you completely disengage yourself from the completed tasks of the day. It creates the perfect environment for you to relax and wake up refreshed the next day. These were some of the short-term benefits of reading but reading even helps in the long run, some studies provide evidence that reading helps slow the rate of mental decline by 32%. In addition to slower memory decline, those who read more have been found to show fewer characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a 2001 study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
These benefits of reading fiction sound great, don't they? Surely, reading fiction is a valuable use of time rather than a waste of time as presumed. It increases our productivity, comprehension, literal thinking, and problem-solving skills. Somehow reading for pleasure has been able to stick around throughout—even with the advent of the Internet, smartphones and so many more attention-zapping inventions. It is the best use of time and makes humans be lifelong learners. People who read fiction continue to expand their minds, perspectives, and ideas which lead them to a happy and fulfilled life. And to enjoy all these benefits, all one needs to do is pick up a good fiction book!
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