With the development of new technology, such as tablets, computers, and video game consoles, and the upswing of social media, people have been reading less.

They’ve started filling the gaps between the events in their busy days with quick glances at their favorite social media site or another attempt to complete a level of their favorite video game. For many high school students, reading for fun is even considered “uncool.”

However, reading for fun, especially fiction, can be a really important part of a person’s life and can have many long lasting benefits. Here are five key positive effects of reading fiction the are sure to outweigh the feeling of “uncoolness” that’s going around.

1. Reading increases language skills. Reading any work of fiction helps improve a person’s language skills, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Reading often exposes us to new vocabulary and sentence structures and can also help improve a student’s grammar, as they would be exposed to correctly written sentences.

This exposure to English vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure can have many practical uses for a regular reader. They can serve to improve a student’s writing and make them sound more intelligent in spoken conversation, as they would have a larger vocabulary and would use correct grammar more naturally.

These skills can help with college applications and interviews, as they would make the applicant seem more professional and intelligent. It can also help with job applications and interviews for the same reason.

Finally, these benefits of reading also apply to other languages. Someone looking to increase their proficiency in a foreign language can do so by reading fiction written in that language. Therefore, even if it doesn’t seem like it, reading can greatly improve a person’s proficiency in a language, English or otherwise.

What genre of fiction do you like to read the most?

• Fantasy
• Action
• Science Fiction
• Mystery
• Historical fiction
• Horror/suspense
• Realistic fiction
• Romance

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2. Reading improves memory and analytical thinking skills. When someone reads a work of fiction, they have to remember the names, personalities, and backstories of the characters as well as previous events in the story and details of the story’s environment in order to be able to follow the plot.

This can improve their short term memory and brain power, as it has been proven that every new memory either strengthens or forms a new connection between neurons in the brain.

Reading can also improve a reader’s analytical skills, as someone reading a novel often makes personal theories about the plot and characters. This is most obviously seen in mystery books, as those who read mysteries often try to solve it themselves before it is revealed at the end of the book.

Those who read fiction can make these theories unintentionally or deliberately, and in doing so, practice using given evidence to make conclusions of their own, thus exercising and improving their analytical skills without feeling as if they are doing work.

3. Reading can help with relaxation. High school can be very stressful. Large amounts of homework, tests and papers, and long days can leave students desperately wanting to relax. According to a study done by the University of Sussex in 2009, reading is actually the best way to do this.

The study found that while other traditional means of relaxation, such as going for a walk, having a cup of tea, and listening to music greatly reduce stress, reading reduces stress by 68%, the most of all the other activities tested. Playing video games, an activity often favored by high school students, was only found to reduce stress by 21%.

This benefit of reading can help improve sleep for someone who reads before bed, while looking at a screen before bed has been found to disrupt sleep, as the bright light of a device signals the body that it’s time to wake up.

Therefore, the best way to unwind at the end of the day is too turn off your devices, dim the lights, and spend some time reading a novel. For those who say that they are too busy, this isn’t even a huge time commitment, as the University of Sussex’s study showed that it only takes six minutes of silent reading to slow a person’s heart rate and ease the tension in their muscles.

Reading for just 10-15 minutes before bed can help a person wind down in the evening, sleep better at night, and feel more refreshed in the morning.

4. Reading improves focus. In this day and age, high school students are surrounded by distractions from social media and other technology related things. They tend to spend less time focusing on one things, as online articles have gotten shorter and posts on social media sites like twitter are short and don’t take up a large amount of time or focus.

For this reason, many high school students find it difficult to focus on one specific thing for an extended period of time. This however, isn’t a problem for a frequent reader, as reading fiction requires someone to put all of their focus into one thing. Every time, someone takes the time to focus entirely on one thing with no distractions, it improves their everyday focus just a little bit.

Therefore, taking the time to read a little bit every day with no distractions can help students with their ability to focus in the classroom, during long tests, and while they’re doing their homework in the evening. This extra focus can help students get their schoolwork done more quickly and give them more free time in the evenings and on the weekends.

5. Reading is fun. Finally, despite what many may think, reading fiction is fun. Reading can allow an escape from the real world and transport readers to new places, allowing them to exercise their imagination and enjoy the brief escape.

Sophomore Abby Gentsch, who often reads fiction in her spare time, said that she thinks reading is fun because “you get to experience the lives of a thousand people.”

Furthermore, the wide variety of fictional works available ensures that reading never gets boring and that there is always something for everyone, despite their interests and preferences.

Fiction can be funny, serious, or a little bit of both. It can take place in a magical fantasy setting, a bleak dystopian future, or a world that is much the same as our own. No matter what, there will always be something interesting to read.

In conclusion, the many benefits of reading seem to outweigh the idea of it being “uncool.” It can serve to improve a person’s focus, analytical skills, and knowledge, while also being fun. It’s just as Dr. Seuss said: “The more that you read, the more things you will know.”