Reading Books in the Modern World - Essay Example

People are more inclined toward using social networking sites and the Internet rather than reading books. Social media has drawn people far from reality by providing them to delve into a fake life based on their thoughts. Gone are the times when one needed to read a whole lot of books even to write something as simple as an essay of two pages, for now, a click can work wonders and let one come up with an essay, just as good if not more. Reading books has become old school and is considered an outdated practice, but its use is recommended because reading books to others has positive effects on children’s academic performance, books are a permanent and ever-lasting source of information, and reading books spurs imagination and creativity in the reader.

One of the benefits of reading books is that when they are read to infants, their communication skills are developed and their concepts of emotions, shapes, and colors are improved. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) research found that children whose parents read with the children frequently during their first school year have long-lasting positive effects on their reading abilities (“Reading to children”). “What kinds of investments should we be making to help these kids get ahead?... The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed” (Evans cited in “Resources, Reports and”).

 One factor that provides books with an edge over other sources of information is their permanence. Books, once written, become permanent. They are not websites or blogs that keep changing or modifying or are even inaccessible with time. This is why “selecting books to support readers’ abilities benefits teachers and children alike so long as teachers make decisions within and beyond leveled books based upon their understanding of student’s interests and capabilities” (Szymusiak, Sibberson, and Koch 11).

Many people in the present age consider television a more interactive, engaging, and informative source as compared to reading books, though this is not entirely and always true. On one hand, television provides the audience with a colorful motion picture; on the other hand, books make the readers think imaginatively since they have to assume the looks of characters, the background, and the specific details of the story like the characters’ homes and other places. Another very important benefit of reading books is that it helps relieve stress and anxiety (“8 Benefits of”). Read More