It might not come as a surprise that reading is good for you. But reading fiction may have additional benefits for our social skills and ability to empathize with others.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Raymond Mar, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at York University, who has studied the benefits of reading fiction on brain health for two decades.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2026 WBUR
Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.
That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.
The future of public media is in your hands.
All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.
SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.
SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.
Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.
That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.
The future of public media is in your hands.
All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.
