How Reading Impacts Social Skills

Brian Kezer holds an MA in computer science from George Washington University. In his spare time, Brain Kezer enjoys working out and reading.

Though reading is often perceived as a solitary hobby, a study published online in Social-cognitive & Affective Neuroscience has suggested that reading books, especially fiction, may improve social skills. By engaging the part of the brain responsible for empathy and imagination, stories can help people engage in and understand real-life interactions.

Fiction takes readers inside the lives and minds of characters in different situations allowing one to feel their challenges, emotions, and triumph. Heightening activity in the brain’s default network enables people to imagine hypothetical situations and see things from another person’s perspective. As a result, individuals have the tools to be more empathetic towards people in their lives. The same, however, cannot be said of nonfiction books. Researchers believe this is caused by the emotional subtleties depicted in fiction that require readers to deduce characters. Fiction books include: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

In addition, reading teaches individuals better communication skills. Stories serve as examples of what good communication is through characters’ interactions. These lessons help readers better handle conflicts and are great at communications. Various genres of books also teach people how to handle difficult situations. For example, a fictional story of a man who lost everything and is trying to rebuild, or a nonfiction story of a woman who overcame adversity and built a multimillion-dollar company can give insight on how to manage and overcome personal adversity.

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Posted on Reading Brian Kezer

Originally published at http://briankezer.wordpress.com on March 22, 2022.