Growing up, reading was a crucial part of our education and becomes a useful skill in our everyday lives. However, there is a fair share of the population that do not appreciate the value of reading. Presumably, these people do not know the life changing effects that reading could have. Some of the reasons that we read growing up include seeing influential figures reading, reading for the storytelling aspect, or reading from curiosity. The effects of reading include social connection and skills, enhancing creativity and imagination, and gaining new knowledge and new ways of thinking. Reading has been declared to be one of the most important attributes one could have in life, whether its for understanding people, entertainment, or knowledge.
As we are introduced to books and literature during our early education, we are told by teachers, parents, and other influential people in our lives that reading is important. These influential people shape the kind of literature we read as adults until we find ourselves venturing out into genres that are of greater interest. Reading helps many people develop social connections, which soon after helping with social skills. For example, throughout our lives, we are told to read this book or that book by the influential people in our lives, and in doing so, we are using social connections and social skills by sharing our thoughts and opinions on these books. Losing oneself in a good read could help with becoming empathetic as well. In Neil Gaiman’s article “Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming,” Gaiman writes that “Empathy is a tool for building people into groups, for allowing us to function as more than self-obsessed individuals. You’re also finding out something as you read vitally important for making your way in the world. And it’s this: The world doesn’t have to be like this. Things can be different.” Gaiman also states, “Engaging with the characters in...