Benefits of Reading Every year, literacy rates decrease among Americans while screen time averages incline steadily. While screens and social media contribute heavily to the rates of depression, anxiety, and mental illness especially among teens, studies have shown that reading for as little as 20 minutes a day can have a profound positive impact on our brains. Scientists have stated that reading enhances brain activity, as well as memory and cognitive ability. Studies have shown that the average amount of time spent on a screen for 15-18 year olds is seven and a half hours. This number (which doesn’t include the amount of time spent on screens in school) is almost a third of the day. Staring at a screen decreases cognitive ability, increases rates of anxiety and depression, and has no overall benefit on our health and wellbeing. Studies have also shown that reading can have multiple physical benefits, such as increasing sleep quality, lowering blood pressure, and improving mental and ...
