Could Excessive Reading Have a Negative Effect On Kids?

Is there such a thing as too much reading?

With all that’s being said about how important learning to read is, how reading makes kids smarter and keeps them in school and why parents should start reading to babies from an early stage, the last thing one might expect to hear is whether too much reading could in fact be harmful.

But there are a few things that prompted me to wonder about this.

Before I share them with you, let there be no doubt that I believe that learning to read and cultivating the habit of reading is absolutely crucial to leading a fulfilling, meaningful life in modern times and to keep evolving through one’s lifetime.  Like many parents, I began reading to my daughter when she was just days old and hope that she develops a lifelong love of books.

But, what I’m wondering about is the effect of being addicted to reading so much that it leaves little time, enthusiasm or energy for any other activity.

On one hand we have kids whose senses are glued to multimedia stimulation round-the-clock and who find it a laborious task to even consider picking up a book to read. And this is indeed a real problem that needs addressing in every part of the world. However, as worrisome as this is, on the other end of the spectrum, there is a smaller, but surely, significant group of kids (what do they like to call them these days – I’m told Geeks and Bookworms are so 20th century!) who bury themselves in books, only to emerge for an occasional meal or unavoidable social event.

I’ve seen cousins, nieces and friends’ kids who fall into this category.  Their parents often complain about how their kids never leave their rooms or go out to meet friends or engage in conversation with visiting relatives – the very traits that other parents, I’m sure, wish their kids showed, at least to a slight degree!! But, what prompts these parents to worry is the fact that when their kids are engrossed with reading, they don’t seem to prefer what is considered a normal social life, they seem to get very little exercise and seem to know everything happening around the world but are unaware of what’s going on in their own living room.

So, between kids who won’t pick up a book to read even if it was the last thing they had to do and kids whose lives revolve around books and little else – where does the solution lie and what is the real problem anyway?

As it turns out, reading by itself is not the problem or even a solution. It’s what you read, how much you read and how you process and use what you read that really has any impact.

As in everything else, finding and striking the right balance is a trick. It’s about getting kids who never read to pick up at least one book a week and read at least for a few minutes a day. And kids who can’t be separated from their books to put their books down for at least a few minutes a day to get some physical exercise or engage in some kind of outdoor activity. Of course, an activity, hobby or part-time job that gives them the chance to enjoy what they love doing in a different setting or with a different purpose could be a great solution. A bookworm might enjoy volunteering in the library’s youth section or tutoring kids who need help with reading. In the process he may get the opportunity to meet like minded people or make new friends and overcome his shyness. For teenagers, you could even combine a book club with an outdoor activity, by holding the book club meetings in a park, bowling alley or as they take a walk.

Although the benefits of reading are manifold for children of all ages, the problems and risks associated with low levels of physical and social activity such as childhood obesity, low self esteem, excessive shyness and loss of touch with reality are equally important to bear in mind.

There are many ways to combine your child’s love of reading with his need for physical activity and social exposure, some of which I will explore in the next post.

I would really love to know how you strike a balance between reading and other activities when it comes to your kids. Please share your tips. Other parents may find them useful.