5 reasons why reading books is good for you

1. Reading could help you live longer

People who read books live for around two years longer than those who don’t, irrespective of gender, wealth, education or health, according to a Yale University study. While a similar association was found among readers of newspapers, it was weaker.

“Book reading contributed to a survival advantage that was significantly greater than that observed for reading newspapers or magazines,” the authors of the study wrote. “Compared to non-book readers, book readers had a 23-month survival advantage,” they noted.

Deep reading promotes empathy and emotional intelligence – cognitive processes that can lead to greater chance of survival, the report explained.

• You may absorb more from a physical book

Some studies suggest students take in more information from paper than from screens, underlining the case for picking up an actual book rather than an e-reader. One study in Norway showed students who read texts in print scored better on reading comprehension tests than students who read digitally.

• You develop the skills of the future

Evidence suggests that being immersed in a book-oriented environment is beneficial to educational achievement. One study shows how growing up with a library at home boosts adult literacy, numeracy and technological problem solving.

Skills like these are increasingly important as younger generations seek to navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report demonstrates how demand for skills is shifting toward softer skills that can be fostered, in part, through reading.

• It builds your vocabulary

In addition to improving your emotional and cognitive intelligence, reading can also help broaden your vocabulary, with some research concluding that “above average readers experienced a higher rate of vocabulary growth than did average readers.”