With the exponential growth of our technologies’ abilities, it is difficult to find teens that enjoy a good read. Generally, the youth of today opt for a more fast paced form of past-time – the twenty four million sales of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” really bring this point home. Rarely do we hear teens saying that they read for pleasure. Instead, they read for a school assignment or for some other similar reason. So what are these teens missing out on? How can pleasure reading help you improve your life and your education?
1) Interpreting Social Cues
It should be noted that fiction runs parallel to life. We are always interpreting things told to us by colleagues, peers and family. An example is when someone comments on your shirt saying that they like it; people will try to determine if they were saying that in spite or if they genuinely meant it. This is not indifferent from reading any fiction novel as we are not told explicitly the meaning, but rather, we are shown glimpses that hint to the meaning.
It should be noted that not everyone is good at interpreting what’s being said to them, how many times have you gotten upset with your best friend after a comment that in reality meant no harm? The act of reading and analysing text helps individuals strengthen their ability to interpret these implicit cues accurately. Reading can then be viewed as a sort of practice to the real world. When one becomes an expert reader, they also become an expert in the social environment. All it takes is practice!
2) A Greater Vocabulary
Ever said a really big word and received praise for your knowledge of the English language? Furthermore, ever received bonus marks on your English essay for your use of creative words? Every author is an expert in the art of linguistics and you can confidently bet that in any book there is at least one word that a person does not know the meaning of (this statemen
t is restricted to books for adults, evidently).
The act of reading exposes an individual to many new words that they have never encountered before and there are good chances that the individual will remember some of them. Therefore, think about reading books as a way to boost your creative writing mark, or a way to intellectually shine at a party.
3) Stories are Experiences
The best writers write about something they are passionate about. Such a passion can only manifest from experiences that have left significant marks on the author. When good authors write, they put a little bit of themselves on the paper. To get their point across, they will want to send the reader through the experiences that they have been through so that the reader can eventually come to similar conclusions as they.
We can then see how reading is analogous to stepping into an author’s mind and sharing their experiences. The more experiences a person is exposed to equates to a better-rounded person. Hence, reading for pleasure is not only a form of entertainment or training but rather a boost to a higher consciousness.
After reading these three points, it is hoped that the reader will look at pleasure reading in a new light. Reading can impart on the reader a significant improvement with respect to their life and their academic grades. It paves the way for accurate analysis of everyday experiences, grants the reader a more in-depth knowledge of their language as well as exposing the reader to otherwise locked away experiences. Put away that x-box controller, pick up a book and get reading!
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