Not many people read for fun anymore. Most people opt for audiobooks and watching movies. We live in an age of instant gratification. However, there are benefits to reading books in your free time.

Reading for pleasure had educational benefits, supported personal development and had a positive impact on reading including:

Better reading literacy and increased writing ability. There will be greater improvement in text comprehension and grammar. Reading will create a more positive attitude. This will also develop self-confidence and a pleasure in later life.

Reading can also improve social skills and empathy by broadening imagination.

The study found that tension eased and heart rates slowed down in subjects who read silently for as little as 6 minutes. It also reported reading to be 300% better at reducing stress than going for a walk and 700% more effective than playing video games.