Leisure reading is on the Decline: Reasons to Pick up the Book on ‘National Read a Book Day’
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- According to the Washington Post, leisure reading in the United States is at an all-time low. In fact, it has fallen 30% since 2004.
September 6 is nationally recognized as Read a Book Day, a day to encourage people to pick out a book they enjoy and spend part of the day reading.
There are many benefits to reading. It increases vocabulary and comprehension, empowers people to empathize with others, aids in sleep readiness, prevents cognitive decline, and reduces stress as well as depression.
"You go to see movies or you do these games and somebody else has done the imagining for you," Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District President Rita Jordan said. "But when you read a book, you're the one who is imagining it. What does that character look like, what is the scene, how is the scene going to play out? It gives us an opportunity to see that we are creative."
With the shift to the digital age over the last decade, many people have lost their desire to go to their local bookstore or library and pick out something interesting. But with Kindles and other ways to read on tablets, laptops, and phones more widely available, there are many ways to inexpensively pick up the hobby.
As far as leisure reading, there are many options for all ages and interests. From mystery to sci-fi, romance, and young adult. Book dealers and librarians are more than happy to help people pick out something that meets their interests.
