Book Readers Are Nicer, More Emphatic People, According to Science

• A research conducted by the Kingston University in London tells us book readers are nicer, more emphatic, and more sociable compared with TV viewers.
• The research involved interviewing 123 individuals. They were even asked to specify what type of genre they prefer reading or watching.
• The result breaks stereotypes that bookworms are nothing more than “nerdy loners.”

We often see bookworms depicted in the media as nerdy loners. This, of course, is obviously nothing more than generic stereotyping because we know not all book lovers are like that in real life.

Case in point, science is actually telling us the exact opposite. According to a recent research, a good percentage of people who read books often are actually more sociable, are kinder, and more emphatic compared to those who prefer watching television.

A study conducted by Kingston University tells us there’s more to ‘bookworms’ than meets the eye.

The study has been conducted by London’s Kingston University where they interviewed 123 individuals. These people were asked a out their “reading or television watching habits,” according to the Peace Quarters website, along with “what genres they liked – comedy, non-fiction, romance, or drama.”

Their social skills were also assessed by asking them questions such as: How often do you consider other people’s points of view versus your own? Or, do you go out of your way to actively help others?

Book lovers generally displayed better behavior compared with avid TV viewers, according to the study’s results.

Interestingly, the results tell us that book lovers “came out on top when displaying more empathetic behavior” while TV viewers exhibited “more anti-social behavior.”

The personality even depends on what genre an individual prefer to read!

The study further specified that fiction readers are more sociable while those who read comedy relate with people better. Romance and drama readers, in the other hand, were most emphatic.