March 26, 2010

30 Reasons Reading Should Take Priority Over Technology and Social Media

The internet and technology haven’t only impacted the way we read, but it has also created several distractions and alternatives to reading.  We are still reading via technology (text messages, status updates, and articles) but there are ever-increasing distractions from choosing to spend our time reading a book or other activities that build reading comprehension and fluency

I’m not saying there aren’t merits to technology but taking time to slow down and read a book offers more than enough benefits to make it worth the effort:

1.    Creates an Active Mental Process

2.    Improves Analytical Thinking

3.    Improves Vocabulary

4.    Provides a Glimpse into Other Cultures and Places of the World

5.    Improves Concentration and Focus

6.    Builds Self-Esteem by Increasing Intelligence

7.    Improves Memory

8.    Improves Self-Discipline

9.    Improves Ability to Prioritize Goals

10.    Reduces Stress

11.    Provides an Escape from the Mundane

12.    Provides Greater Tranquility

13.    Improves Creativity

14.    Improves Writing Skills

15.    Provides New Topics of Conversation

16.    Helps One Relate to a More Diverse Group of People

17.    Reduces Boredom

18.    Provides Information to Develop New Skills

19.    Builds Expertise on a Subject

20.    Helps One Make More Money by Improving Skills and Expertise

21.    Allows Learning Anywhere at Anytime

22.    Allows Learning at an Individual Pace

23.    Provides Inexpensive Entertainment

24.    Enhances Accuracy (less prone to mistakes with more knowledge)

25.    Helps One Discover New Interests

26.    Changes Lives by Providing New Perspectives and Attitudes

27.    Helps Break Slumps

28.    Promotes Self-Discovery

29.    Promotes Language Development in English Language Learners (ELL)

30.    Provides Escape from Digital Distractions

This list was compiled from these sources:

10 Benefits of Reading

Reading Makes You Better

26 Major Advantages to Reading More Books

This weekend pick up a book and enjoy at least one of the many perks reading a book offers an individual! 


Help students develop a love of reading with Reading Horizons elementary reading program and reading intervention curriculum

3 Comments

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Statistics Tutor said

Reading is definitely inevitable and it is a challenge to get young people to sit down to read a book! However I feel reading online books are as good as traditional ones. If a person is interested in the latest technology let him/her use to to make the best out of it. Only if you have interest in something will you enjoy it. Nowadays students are so tech savvy that they want to do everything in the online space. So i guess it is okay if they use the internet to read! It serves the purpose anyway..

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angela said

I agree that it is good that technology makes reading more accessible and that if people are only reading online its better than if they are not reading at all. But reading online is different from reading a book with no links, no bold text, and no sub-headings. Reading books requires one to read every word and get engrossed in a story. This not only is entertaining but also builds reading comprehension and fluency. If students actually read online books and not only articles and facebook updates than they would also be beneficial for reading.

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