Do you ever sit back and wonder why it is we like to read? Not all of us question our habits, but sometimes it’s good to know what we enjoy about them and what compels us to sit down with nothing but words and our imagination for a few hours per week.
1. Escapism
In the same manner that people watch television or listen to music, reading is a form of escapism. Reading can be so immersive and captivating that the brain loses all awareness that we are simply forming images, sounds, and other sensations through mere words.
Reading has been proven to be a very relaxing activity, and one that can assist in our emotional issues. The immersion and solitary nature of reading is also good for our mental health after a long day, granting us time to ignore the pressures and responsibilities of reality.
2. Non-Visual Learner/Consumer
Many of us work in different ways, and the same is true for how we prefer to consumer and process information. Some work best by watching a documentary, or by using illustrations to burn information into our long and short-term memory. Readers included.
Whilst most readers have a capacity for visual and auditory learning, these methods are heightened and improved when consuming facts and information through written words, rather than fully visual mediums. Some readers are more prone to auditory learning and retention, which is why you’ll find some who prefer audiobooks to physical prints.
In general, those who prefer to read will find it to be their ideal way of learning and memorising information.
3. Self-Paced
Unlike a film, which usually dictates that you sit through it start to finish, reading can be taken at your own pace. The tempo at which you progress is defined solely by your preference and ability, not by an editing team or group of actors.
Reading is a very personal affair. Books, whether you set them down for a day or a whole year, will be waiting at the very same page you left off at. There is no concern that our physical prints will suddenly expire or be removed (as is the case with digital books, as well as many shows and streaming services).
4. Access to More (Mature) Content
Let’s use American Psycho as an example. The film adaption from 2000 is believed to be fairly graphic and crude, but is nothing against the original 1991 novel.
Similarly, other books, such as historical studies and essay collections, are much more willing and able to go into intensive detail about a subject. Due to the higher costs of video production and marketing, all parties involved do their best to skirt away from high ratings, especially the adults-only category. Most are willing to take a teen (~15-16) rating at worst, which results in some book adaptations being toned down.
Books, by contrast, laugh at this. Some novels can jump from zero to one hundred in a matter of pages. Even comics and manga are similar in this sense. Books, through lesser regulation and more freedom, are able to touch on sensitive and graphic topics without the same fear of failure or backlash.
Many of us readers enjoy this liberation, and, as we know, certain American states and other areas of the world are beginning to challenge this freedom. So, I’d recommend that we enjoy all we can about the less stringent world of print before George Orwell begins turning in his grave.
5. Knowledge
Almost all non-fiction books offers plenty of knowledge, whether they be about complex or trivial things. Books are a great source of information and an easy medium to learn and retain information from.
Even in this online age, books are still reliable sources and are heavily scrutinised for errors and accuracy. Of course, they do have the slight downside of falling out of date as time goes on, but the same is true for most things in life. Don’t bash Wikipedia like your teachers tell you to, but it’s also important to trust print over an online webpage that almost anyone can alter, update, or skew to their liking.
6. Aesthetic
Despite some cynical views around BookTok/Bookstagram, it is hard to ignore that books are aesthetically pleasing. Libraries are ornate collections of knowledge and fictional worlds, all lined up on a shelf; our home collections are the same, but scaled down.
Books will always be romanticised. If we truly weren’t concerned with how they look, then we would stick to PDFs and digital-only releases in this eco-friendly world. Covers wouldn’t have special details, nor would there be any limited editions. The visual pleasure and uniqueness of them is a key selling factor of physical prints, and is why traditional paperbacks and hard covers sell more than digital releases.
Plenty of us read because books are pretty to look at and fun to indulge in, no matter the genre or author. It’s not a bad thing, as even those who buy books but rarely read them are still supporting the author and medium to begin with.
The aesthetic and image around books drives us a lot more than you may believe, and it isn’t something we should shy away from acknowledging.
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