To Read
1. Helps sleep better
If you Google “Reading,” it will throw over 1,830,000,000 results. If you rephrase your search to “Is it good to read,” things will get interesting. The most important piece of information Google tells you is that reading.exe would help clear the human RAM and will also run the patch, sleeping.exe, without any teeth bites. Research says having a bedside lamp and reading a decent book helps falling asleep sooner. But make sure that the light isn’t too bright and the book isn’t too interesting. If you choose books like The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, you may forget sleeping for the night.
2. Helps remember
The second important thing that reading aids is memory. As we get older we are bound to suffer from memory loss. While it is natural, the rate at which we lose our memory is in our hands. The more we use our brain when young, the longer we remember. Brain stimulating activities like reading, solving puzzles help sharpen the brain jelly and keep it poking for a long time.
3. Reduces stress
Mindlab International at the University of Sussex published an article in the year 2009 that said reading reduces stress. Reading as a stress buster, trumps listening to music and drinking coffee or tea, according tothe report. The study was conducted on different individuals for 6 minutes - while reading the heart rate and muscle tension of participants were found to be better.
4. Improves vocabulary
Reading helps improve vocabulary. Each author has a different set of words that fashions their writing and influences readers. Inevitably readers use these words and can look cooler amongst friends and colleagues.
5. Improves creativity
When reading, our minds imagine what the author has written. For example, when we read a fat man walking under a bridge, our brain digs out all the information, connects the relevant ones and imagines the whole set up. This fosters creativity, which is an important aspect for any job.
6. Helps write better
Writing skills improve drastically as we read; our mind subconsciously observes the different writing styles of different authors. This massively influences our writing style too. Sometimes a new writing style might surprisingly emerge out of us too.
7. Improves concentration
Finally, reading increases concentration power of the reader. If we start reading ten to fifteen minutes before work, immerse ourselves and let the world around us fall apart, our concentration improves. This will help yield better output the whole day.
Not to Read
1. Affects vision
The most obvious disadvantage of reading is that is affects vision. If right precautions and postures are not adhered to, people who read for long will have to add new hardware called spectacles to keep their vision. sys running.
2. The ‘Nerd’ tag
Reading is mostly considered boring among students and those who read just for fun are branded “Nerds” or “Bookworms” or even “Uncool.” They are sometimes not included in fun, social and sporting activities; so to be part of social setting, many people avoid reading. But many who are considered ‘uncool’ are the ones who get placed easily or are called first to organize events. Many “nerds” are actually the real cool ones who observe people and know how to approach different people.
3. Books are expensive
Unless you read regularly, cost of books is often viewed a constraint. To some, spending Rs. 100 to Rs. 300 for a book which can be enjoyed for a lifetime is better and to others, spending Rs. 120 for a three hour movie is money well spent. This surely is a personal preference: I still own all three Lord of the Rings books and cherish the Emperor Series by Conn Iggulden that I bought 10 years ago.
4. Book-based movies abound
Many movies and television serials based on books are also released every year, which make people opt for a three-hour movie over reading long books. Harry Potter, Twilight, and Lord of the Rings are all examples. While this is convenient, many who have read the book and watched the movie opine that the .pdf version beats the .avi version.
Being made aware of both sides of the coin, the option is yours. Should you decide to read, read on! Some are lost, unable to decide where to start. Reading varies from person to person and depends solely on interests. From crime novels to romantic drama, from newspapers to scientific research journals to, any paper that bears charactery works! I have also observed friends and family to be great motivators. When my cousins and classmates share their experience about reading a book, I too feel intrigued to read that book. Right from our childhood, we are forced to read – from school books to MOOCs that our workplaces mandate to stay industry-relevant. That should not drive us to read only when required. To enjoy the practice best, reading must be cultivated as a hobby.
Happy Reading!