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https://theconversation.com/why-reading-books-is-good-for-society-wellbeing-and-your-career-200447>
"TikTok allows video up to 10 minutes, but says surveys show almost half its
users are stressed by anything longer than a minute. An Instagram video can be
up to 90 seconds, but experts reckon the ideal time to maximise engagement is
less than 15 seconds. Twitter doubled the length of tweets in 2017 to 280
characters, but the typical length is more like 33 characters.
It’s easy to get sucked into short and sensational content. But if you’re
worried this may be harming your attention span, you should be. There’s solid
evidence that so many demands on our attention make us more stressed, and that
the endless social comparison makes us feel worse about ourselves.
For better mental health, read a book.
Studies show a range of psychological benefits from book-reading. Reading
fiction can increase your capacity for empathy, through the process of seeing
the world through a relatable character. Reading has been found to reduce
stress as effectively as yoga. It is being prescribed for depression – a
treatment known as bibliotherapy.
Book-reading is also a strong marker of curiosity – a quality prized by
employers such as Google. Our research shows reading is as strongly associated
with curiosity as interest in science, and more strongly than mathematical
ability.
And it’s not just that curious minds are more likely to read because of a
thirst for knowledge and understanding. That happens too, but our research has
specifically been to investigate the role of reading in the development of
curious minds."
Via Muse, who wrote "Great article about the value of reading."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
