Introduction
Fiction is a genre of literature that involves invented characters, they are usually in prose and are primarily novels. Children’s fiction has been used over time, and the question of what impact it had on their lives arose. The parents reading The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires to the children confessed that the view was impacted, to mean the effect is far more intense on a growing mind. In this essay, both positive and negative implications of children reading fiction will be analyzed.
Negative Implications
The first negative impact is the lousy character adverse effects, which means that the child picks up the characters’ bad behavior in the fiction. For instance, in the book, the family of the protagonist does not have likable characters, and children may think that their behaviors are acceptable and follow their example. In the book, Greg Hefley is the main character writing his fictional diary, and he is constantly doing something wrong. Greg has the habit of never offering a sincere apology, and to top it all, he never learns from his mistakes. Another negative impact of fictional books on children is the advancement of toxic and unhealthy stereotypes in society.
For example, many writers may stick with the stereotype that men belong at work and women in the kitchen that is formed in a child’s mind and influence their reality. Girls could be impacted negatively and never reach their full potential because they were conditioned not to chase after their goals because of the negative stereotype associated with their gender. The stereotype of racism and the type of treatment that people with various skin color should receive has been passed on through fictional books.
Positive Implications
Children lose themselves in the book, and that is seen as engaging and one of the most effective teaching tools. Reading books helps children with interpretation and inference. Fiction does not always have the goal of conveying information compared to non-fiction. For instance, the movie Happy Feet has the feature which allows children to think critically and to understand what motivated the character to behave in a particular way. Empathy is another positive impact of fiction as it teaches them how behave when different scenarios present themselves. Research shows that fiction can change stereotypes and ensure a better future because people who feel for each other will be formed as one reads literature and sees that all people are unique and have something to offer (Hopkins and Weisberg 48). As children read fictional books, they are drawn by the great story which engages their emotions
A child can build and increase their vocabulary through the reading of fiction. As children read, they understand new words in the best way and learn how to use them in sentences and real-life introduced to them in the story. Children are socialized through the reading of fiction because it teaches them how the society operates. Socialization means identifying themselves with the characters, and as they see them making mistakes, a young reader gains wisdom on what to do and what not to do.
Reading Fiction Books is Better
Fiction reading is better because it has unquenchable benefits for children. A child grows to be an effective speaker because of articulating thoughts into words learned through reading books. The negative impact can be eradicated through mentorship and censorship. Reading has been viewed for a long time as a positive activity that has been encouraged by both teachers and parents. Books play a tremendous role in the lives of children and even adults with the countless positive impacts they bring. Books allow children to imagine new places such as different countries and people, thus, broadening their thinking.
Conclusion
The positive impacts of reading fictions outweigh the negative impacts of a child engaging with fictional material. The stereotypes that are enhanced by the use of fictional books can be censored by parents and teachers before children can read them. People in places of power can be proactive and ban the perpetuation of certain beliefs through publications. Fictions, both movies and books, do well to the child’s development and socialization.
Work Cited
Hopkins, Emily J., and Deena Skolnick Weisberg. “The Youngest Readers’ Dilemma: A Review of Children’s Learning from Fictional Sources.” Developmental Review, vol. 43, 2017, pp. 48-70.