Final Exam Essay

 Nama    : Rima Firda Alfisyah

NIM      : 081911733021

Major    : Biomedical Engineering

THE ADVANTAGES OF READING HABIT FOR ADULTS

Reading with our own free will and get the satisfaction from it, is called reading for pleasure. Pleasure is a great motive force, there are various means and sources of pleasure like traveling, eating, fangirling, visiting important places, playing games and etc. But the pleasure that found in reading is the best one, because we can feel that books may provide us with the best companionship. We will enjoy reading at any time, any place, and any moment without any hesitation. So, reading for pleasure refers to all types of reading done in order to enjoy either through imagination or the acquisition of knowledge. There are plenty of advantages from reading for pleasure as an adult.

The major benefit in reading is increases empathy, creativity and improves memory. Reading some fictional characters’ experiences can allow us to spend time in their shoes, it makes us more open minded and gain new perspectives. People with reading habit have the ability to understand the feelings of others more deeply. Interacting with others over books can develop social, oral skills and leading to increased oral language development (Clark & Rumbold, 2006). Reading can also help to improve focus, concentration and attention span. Researchers have proved that reading books can stimulates the prefrontal cortex; the area of the brain that affects concentration and attention among other things.

Reading for adults is supporting self-improvement and relationships with others. Learning something new is training our brain to remember new ideas, facts and improve general knowledge. Pleasure reading is the most explanatory factor for both cognitive progress and social mobility over time (Sullivan & Brown, 2013). The knowledge that we gain is cumulative and grows exponentially. Reading a wide range of books will help expand our general knowledge. If we have a strong knowledge base, it's easier to learn new things and solve new problems. Reading also make us feel more motivated to show greater language because when we are reading books that suiting our level, it can accelerate vocabulary-building, improve grammar, and sharpen writing. Eventually, this will improve our ability to communicate effectively, allowing us to better articulate our thoughts and more accurately express how we feel. To expand our relationship with others, there are several of book discussion groups that we can join, it is a great way to make new friends and socialize while talking about something we can enjoy.

Reading can also reduce the symptoms of depression. Reading fiction can make us temporarily escape our own world and connect emotionally with the characters through imagination. Non-fiction ‘self-help’ books can teach us strategies that may help to manage the symptoms, it can also help us acquire lessons from successful people in the form of biographies. Based on study by University of Sussex (2009), reading for just six minutes can actually reduce stress levels by up to 68%. The study found that reading can relax our body by lowering our heart rate and easing the tension in our muscles. It also lowered blood pressure and feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga did.

As expressed, there are many advantages from reading for pleasure. Reading habit helps people expand our knowledge, imagination and boost their vocabularies. Just keep reading more and more, we will keep gaining knowledge and lots of information because of it. If we have reading for pleasure as a passion, we will get the best output at the end. Because we can get many benefits, reading for pleasure can improve the quality of life as an adult.

 

 

REFERENCE

Harl, A. (2013). A Historical and Theoretical Review of the Literature: Reading and Writing Connections. In: A Horning and E. Kraemer, ed. Reconnecting Reading and Writing. United Stated of America: Parlor Press LLC and The WAC Clearinghouse.

 

Nell, V. (1988). The psychology of reading for pleasure: Needs and gratifications. Reading Research Quarterly, 23, 6-50.

 

Baumann, J.F. & Duffy, A.M. (1997). Engaged reading for pleasure and learning: A report from the National Reading Research Center. Athens, GA: NRRC.