September 16, 2026
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Reading for pleasure on a regular basis has cognitive and emotional benefits, new research shows.
Feeling down? You might want to pick up a book.
That's the finding of a research review, published Tuesday, that examined the benefits of reading for pleasure. Researchers found that reading at any age is associated with enhanced well-being, reduced stress and greater empathy.
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Researcher Barbara Sahakian, a psychiatry professor at the University of Cambridge in England, told the BBC that "it's never too late to start" reading and that "it can bring benefits throughout our lives and into old age."
But starting to read for pleasure at a young age can help improve academic performance. The study authors referenced their previous research, involving 10,000 children, that links reading for fun and improved memory, concentration and problem-solving capabilities.
"Given how beneficial reading for pleasure is at a young age, we should be doing everything we can to introduce children and young people to reading," Christelle Langley, a psychiatry professor at the University of Cambridge, told the BBC.
But the most recent statistics from the Nation's Report Card, an annual federal assessment of U.S. student progress, found that children are reading less and less. In 2025, 37% of 9-year-olds reported reading for fun almost every day, down from 42% in 2020 and 53% in 1984. Last year, 14% of 13-year-olds reported reading almost every day for fun, down from 17% in 2020 and 35% in 1984.
The Nation's Report Card did not look into the reasons for these declines, but another recent federal survey found that more than 50% of 12- to 17-year-olds said they are spending at least four hours each day online.
But the authors of the new study said children do not just have to read books for it to be beneficial. Reading different kinds of material, including graphic novels, magazines and comics, is all helpful. Finding a topic that matches their interests is a way to encourage children to read, the researchers said.
The researchers also reviewed several surveys of adults that suggested that reading for pleasure "reduced feelings of loneliness and improved social connection." Participating in book clubs is one of the ways reading produces those benefits, the authors said.
They also referenced studies that found an association between reading on a frequent basis and slower cognitive decline among adults.
