Everybody knows about the infamous “literacy crisis” of our generation, where less and less people are picking up books and reading in their free time. Numbers are dropping in literacy rates, with both kids and adults struggling to read at levels appropriate for their age, and being unable to hold a level of comprehension for the content they’re consuming. It’s also a known problem in today’s society that there’s an extensive lack of empathy. What if I told you that these two issues are directly related?
Empathetic people are those who have mastered the art of understanding other people’s perspectives and experiences. This allows them to act with more open mindedness and tolerance towards diversity. As a result, empathy leads to less conflicts and division in society. However, we’re suffering from an extensive lack of empathy today. Individuals oftentimes approach issues with egocentric solutions and only prioritize their own wellbeing. However, this empathy shortage is curable. Frequently reading books profoundly strengthens an individual’s empathy. This occurs through the development of emotional connections, exposure to diverse narratives, and the impact reading has on cognitive activity.
When reading books, an emotional connection is fostered between the readers and the characters within the book. This ability to form emotional connections with others is then applied to the people the reader interacts with in real life. In order for readers to understand the book, they must first understand its characters, which directly translates to our ability to understand real people in the real world. Emotions garnered towards fictional characters, whether they are positive or negative, become instinctive parts of the reader themselves, until they eventually become the actual disposition of the reader. This transformation is everpresent. It can be applied to almost every real life situation. Books leave the reader with an inclination to be accepting towards people who are perceived as different (different races, genders, social/economic backgrounds).
Reading books with characters who are different from the reader have the strongest impact in fostering empathy and social understanding. By reading books with characters who are different from themselves, readers are exposed to diverse and unique perspectives. Exposure leads to acceptance. By reading and learning about experiences that are different from their own, the reader learns to recognize those differences in the real world and accept them without prejudice or judgement. This acceptance is especially important in situations where an individual must advocate for those different from themselves. The empathy and social understanding that readers gain from reading is therefore beneficial for every side of the situation. The reader is strengthening their ability to connect with other humans, while the recipient of that empathy is being assisted in their conflict. The empathy that one grows through reading can be channeled into direct actions like advocacy and support. If an individual is self centered and only concerned with issues affecting his or herself, they can expand past this limited, egotistical mindset by reading about the issues of others. The exposure to conflicts outside of their own bubble can influence them to care about that issue in the real world.
When it comes to fostering empathy and social understanding, fiction books have much stronger impacts than other forms of media (social media, television, film, etc.). In an age of social media and mindless scrolling, it’s easy for individuals to consume extensive amounts of information in a short period of time, and then not retain any of it. Literature is different. The internet offers the opportunity to be exposed to diverse opinions and experiences at any given moment. However, the fast-paced environment of the internet, filled with distractions and, oftentimes, unreliable sources, results in that potential exposure to diversity not being effective in teaching individuals empathy. Books, on the other hand, allow the reader to actually think and reflect about the story they are being presented with. Since the reader is sitting with a book for an increased amount of time, they must consume at a slower pace, and actually reflect on what they’re reading. The writing choices that are specific to fiction, like characters and world building, transport the reader into the book, which is more likely to change the personal qualities of the reader. The transportation into “a different world” that readers experience when engaging in fiction is what strengthens their connection to what they are reading, not just the mere fact that they’re reading.
“The transportation into a “different world that readers experience when engaging in fiction is what strengthens their connection to what they are reading, not just the mere fact that they’re reading.”
In a world that’s made up of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and opinions, social understanding and cooperation is the only way society can flourish. However, when empathy is endangered, it demands a solution on how to encourage more empathic people. Social understanding is enriched through the development of empathy, which is significantly strengthened through the practice of frequent reading. If there’s one thing that I beg of our generation, it’s this: read more!