Benefits of Reading

Blog #1:

            As the title of this blog is "Readers are Leaders," in this inaugural entry I would like to discuss the benefits that I see to come from limiting time in front of the television and maximizing time curling up with a book. As a child watching television was not an option of source of entertainment (unless the Seattle Mariners were playing, of course). My brother, sister and I had the options of going outside to play or to crack open a book. As the weather in Seattle, Washington is not always conducive for outdoor activities, we more often than not found ourselves huddled inside with a blanket and a novel.

            This is something that I am extremely grateful for. Growing up as a reader has enhanced my life in more ways than one. One of the main reasons is that reading at a young age taught me how to focus on a single activity for long periods of time. Society these days cater to short attention spans: 30 second television commercials, 15 second radio advertisements, and even 50 minute college courses. The mind is reaching a point where it begins to lose interest after a short period of time. Even educational discussions and lectures, such as TED talks, are limited to 20 to 30 minutes. In my opinion, one of the reasons why attention spans have shortened is the amount of television that is watched. As programs cater to keeping the interest of the viewer, the minds of the audience are being conditioned to only focus for short amounts of time. As a young reader, my brain focused on a single activity for hours, and as a result my attention span adapted to this. This has continued as the habit of reading has remained in my life. Though I am no longer always reading novels and other things of interest to me, having a longer attention span has allowed me to sit down and focus for extended amounts of time on course material and reading assignments. In theory, this capability has enabled me to retain information, therefore, being more successful. With this idea, it is easy to fall into believing a slippery slope fallacy of reasoning; however, longer attention spans allow students to pay more attention in classes and benefit more out of a class room setting.

            Reading from a young age has helped me grow to love the activity. It is soothing and provides a safe haven in times of stress. Reading has also allowed me to explore many different topics, giving me surface level (at the very least) knowledge about a broad spectrum of things. It is my experience that individuals who enjoy reading are often more knowledgeable about a wider range of topics. This is not to say that those who rather watch television are not knowledgeable; this is simply making an observation of my experiences. This broadened range of knowledge has come in handy for me, particularly when I am making small talk to get to know someone. This summer as an intern, I worked with 3 men all over the age of 40. Initially, I worried about finding a way to connect and converse with my employer and superiors; however, I found that I was able to participate in their discussions to some degree using the little bit of information I had on each topic. This aided significantly in going through the stages of Socialization within the organization.

            I have found that an individual benefits from reading and skills are developed from exercising the mind, rather than lounging in front of the television. Later in life when I have children, I intend on limiting their television time and encouraging them to pick up a novel. This, I hope, will help them develop useful life skills.