Casting spells with Harry Potter, competing in the Hunger Games with Katniss Everdeen or exploring Amsterdam with Hazel Grace Lancaster are all things that someone can do if they read Harry Potter, The Hunger Games or The Fault in Our Stars. Picking up a book can have an unbelievable amount of benefits for the human mind and body. 

Reading is a very skill and used constantly throughout the day in school and at home. Reading for fun however, is a lot less common. With the introduction of technology like smartphones, computers and tablets the amount of books read has gotten significantly lower in just the last 10 years. 

According to Healthline, reading is a way to reduce stress. With all of the worries from school, home and world events, it is easy to let stress take over and rule daily life. It is so easy to get caught up in all that is going on in the world that people forget to take a breath and relax. 

Reading forces people to push out all distractions, even if for just a small amount of time. Picking up a book activates the brain and opens up the imagination. It allows people to get away from their stresses and be transported into an entirely new world that they can imagine however they want. 

Scanning the pages of a book can also expand vocabulary and writing skills which can be beneficial for writing essays, taking tests and overall general knowledge. A larger vocabulary means that there are more words to use to express opinions, participate in discussions and better understand and comprehend pieces of text. 

In many classes in school like English and History, students may be required to write essays, as well as on some tests like the SAT. The vocabulary a person can get from reading in turn can allow them to write better as well, which would help in classes and on tests where essays are required. 

A main argument as to why more people don’t read is that they get bored of reading. But simply, that person may not be finding the right kind of book for them. From classic literature like “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë, to young adult fantasy novels like the “Throne of Glass” series, there are an endless amount of different genres and authors so that there is something for everyone.

From reducing stress to improving knowledge, reading has a ton of benefits that usually get overlooked. It is too easy to get lost in the new technologies of today that people often forget to take a step back and take some time away from technology. Try to pick up a good book to get away from electronics, and it may be surprising how easy it is to get lost in the world of reading.