In the age of short-form content and a turn away from physical representations, it is more important than ever to foster a love for reading. Here are the top reasons why reading is more important than ever right now, including benefits for your health and the importance of preserving literacy.
By Jayne Turner – Staff Writer
Reading activates deep thinking.
In 2026, we are swimming in short videos, auto-summaries, and AI-generated content that offer an escape from real thinking. Picking up a book is one of the last ways to train your brain to stay focused, follow a plotline, and apply critical thinking skills.
This is a skill that will become obsolete if we do not actively combat it. If you liked the hit TV show Stranger Things, here are 10 books you might enjoy.
It helps you sniff out AI.
Since AI now has the ability to pump out full-length essays and text, readers must understand what differentiates between a human-written text and one by AI. This article covers more details that differentiate the two.
AI-generated text sometimes lacks strong logic and tends to depend on general assumptions because it compiles text from various internet sources, which can contain misinformation. Books are generally more trustworthy, having been fact-checked and edited by multiple people.
It builds empathy
Reading opens our eyes to stories from other cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences. And it doesn’t have to be a memoir to teach you about a life that differs from your own. Even fiction novels contain little pieces of their authors’ perspectives.
Both genres allow you to inhabit other lives. With world-building, complex characters, and difficult situations. Unlike in the news, characters in books are multi-dimensional, not just labelled as being “good” or “bad.”
Train political fluency
Reading books from multiple points in history helps you to understand systems of oppression and control. One of the most important reasons to study history is to avoid repeating it, and reading does just that. 1984, Fahrenheit 451, A Handmaid’s Tale, and more are all classic novels that teach important lessons about government and systems.
Since AI news sources, biases, and a lack of context are common threads throughout news platforms, it is important to gain an understanding of the broader context.
Pro tip: consume fewer “hot takes” and more researched outcomes.
It can be a career advantage.
While “reading” might not be a skill you list on your resume, the abilities you develop from literature can help you maintain a job and handle workplace demands effortlessly. That hour-long meeting? You’ll be locked in the whole time, because your attention span is intact.
Your writing, speaking, and vocabulary will also improve. This will have a silent-but-huge impact on your career progression – that’s job security.
Reading doesn’t just add knowledge; it enhances the skills you already have. It builds judgment, communication, and credibility. There is a reason why everyone is trying to read what the world’s leaders are reading! Check out a list of those books here.
