Nerd Alert: Reading is Good For Your Health

In the article "Reading is Good For Your Health" Jen Christensen writes "People who have been reading fiction test higher for empathy. Other brain studies of people who listen to a story with intense emotion show a physical response. Their heart rate changes and brain scans show the area that corresponds with emotion lights up, as if the person was experiencing that emotion personally. Earlier studies have shown that reading can actually develop neural networks in your brain that can help you understand even more complex thought." I find this interesting because I enjoy reading fiction and when need be I can be very empathetic. Ms. Christensen also states that "Even if you are not a big reader, there's still hope. Past studies have shown serial television programs that are character driven such as "The West Wing" or " The Good Wife" also "can help you better understand what we human beings are up to," Oatley said. Other studies have shown watching character-driven sitcoms can lessen a viewers' prejudice." I don't watch T.V. as much anymore, but when I do I tend to watch comedies. I think that it is funny how parents don't allow T.V. sometimes but it turns out that T.V. can help you learn more about people.

I enjoyed reading this article because it taught me more about why reading can be good for you. I knew that reading was healthy, but I never fully understood how and why it was. I read books to distract me from parts of my life that I might be having trouble getting through. To me, books are a way for the author to express, past or present, feelings that they have felt during their life and think others may as well. This article really made me think about reading differently. I'm glad that I chose to read this.