What You Need to Know About the Global Reading Crisis that is Happening Today

As time has passed there has been a slow erosion of one of the most basic and important parts of human living.  The ability to read.  

Yes that's right, the simple ability to read the information that is laid out before us everyday is becoming a thing of the past.  

"And why is that?", I hear you say.

It lies in the fact that we live in a digital world that has become reliant on technology more than the human brain. 

Why We Need to Read

According to LifeHack

The 10 benefits of reading are:

1. It Protects Your Brain as You Age
2. Six Minutes Is All It Takes to Cut Stress
3. Knowledge Compounds Like Interest
4. Your Vocabulary Grows Without You Trying
5. Reading Strengthens Your Memory
6. It Sharpens How You Think
7. It Rebuilds Your Attention Span
8. Good Writers Are Always Good Readers
9. It Makes You Better at Understanding People
10. Readers Live Longer - Literally

I think this list speaks for itself.

It's clear that reading protects our brain against cognitive decline, improves memory retention, and gives us stronger analytical thinking, along with increased empathy.

The importance of reading for your health and wellbeing is immeasurable, so how did we get here?

Why We Don't Read Anymore

• I don't have the time to read
• Reading is hard
• It's a habit I never got into
• I prefer watching the movie version
• I don't know what to read
• Books cost a lot of money these days

Sadly most of us stare at screens all day, with endless entertainment at our fingertips, the thought of picking up a book is foreign to so many.

Screentime is much easier because life is so fast today.  You can scroll through the items on your phone or tablet at ease, and digest snippets instead of a long winded book.

Computers and tablets have entered the classrooms, books are old fashioned.

There is Hope

The education sector is waking up to the crisis, along with the general public.  

How to Make Reading a Habit

Start Small

Start reading for as little as six minutes a day this will reduce your stress levels by 68%.

Your Knowledge With Increase Exponentially

Things make more sense when you read the context behind it, like business for instance.  A strong reader will gain knowledge and vocabulary faster than a weaker reader.  

Your Vocabulary Will Become Your Superpower

Every time you read you increase your vocabulary and understanding.  You're exposed to a wider range of words, and learn their meanings.  Your ability to express complex thoughts and be heard will start to happen.  

Your Memory Will Improve

By picking up a fictional story you'll be holding numerous threads in your head like, plot, settings and character motivations.  Research from 2023 on reading and retention the people that practiced structure reading techniques improved their information retention from 40% - 87%.  

What reading does to your brain is phenomenal, it trains your brain to organise, store and retrieve information more effectively..

It Optimises Your Thinking

Scrolling through social media makes your brain skim through the information, reading helps you analyse the information in front of you.

It doesn't matter if you're reading fiction or nonfiction, your brain is continually evaluating evidence, making predictions and connecting ideas.  The information your brain absorbs is being examined.

You're making deductions about the text as you go along, improving your analytical skills.

Your Attention Span Will be Longer

The longer you read the more you'll be able to focus on everyday tasks.

You Need to Read to be a Good Writer

Reading is what makes you a better writer, not workshops or grammar tools.

When you read frequently your brain devours sentence structure, pace, tone and argumentation patterns without 

Victor Hugo quote,

 “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark,”

 

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