Reading books can save lives.

If you didn’t already know this, according to an article by Reader’s Digest, “A love of reading can protect your brain from Alzheimer’s disease, slash stress levels, encourage positive thinking, and fortify friendships.”

While typically younger students don’t feel the need to worry about Alzheimer’s because they assume they still have time before they get old, reducing stress levels is imperative as a college student.

If you think the reading you’re doing for a class is supposed to be reducing stress instead of adding to it, remember it is the reading you’re not being graded on that is important for reducing stress.

The hobbies we choose impact the way we deal with stress and if playing video games or sports is your choosing, think about how you can implement reading a book to reduce stress.

Sure, some may argue reading is not as active or mentally stimulating; but in fact, reading forces you to concentrate on what you read.

Coming to college gives us the advantage hard labor doesn’t; we are encouraged to read often, which in turn promotes longevity; because “Adults who spent their downtime doing creative or intellectual activities (like reading) had a 32 percent slower rate of cognitive decline later in life than those who did not,” the article stated.

Whether you read the disgusting Twilight series or Friedrich Nietzsche, reading is reading and you shouldn’t be discouraged.

Mind you: Reading quality material such as this opinion and (of course) Talon Marks material in general, is incredibly important; so if you are able to limit yourself on sensationalism and “click bait” material, please do so!

Those who produce quality material do it for you, the readers. Those who produce crap that makes your brain bleed do it for the money.

As a reader, you have to decide if you want to rot your brain or expand it.

If you read anything about the Kardashian’s, I am silently judging you.

If you read anything about why being a donut or bagel is 100 percent your personality, I am silently judging you.

If you read anything about why the Fyre Festival was a debacle, I am silently judging you.

If you read anything about why the rich stay rich and why you’re still poor, AND YOU DO NOTHING WITH THE INFORMATION, I am silently judging you.

Basically if you are part of the majority who loves what useless information such as what Kim Kardashian wore to the Met Gala, I am silently judging you.

Regardless of the fact that you are reading garbage, I kind of commend you, because YOU ARE STILL READING; but please, pick up a good book (and read it), or I will be forced to violently throw one at you.

Don’t thank me, think of this as something Mother Theresa would do. PSA OVER.