The real benefits of fiction

Even in a world that offers thousands of diversions, fiction still deserves special recognition.

Fiction isn’t just a series of distractions – the movies, TV shows and books that fall under fiction’s purview are our society’s favorite platforms for storytelling. Fiction has so many options for telling a story – fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction, to name a few. Each form has its own set of devices that can be used to develop a richer environment and more fully draw readers into the story – and thereby lower readers’ shields to become more receptive to the message being given.

Although typically reserved for works of literature, fiction includes television shows and movies, such as the Star Trek series. The original Star Trek had a huge cultural and scientific impact due to its progressive and hopeful depiction of the future. Characters on the show have both been cited as role models and symbols of hope for their depiction as people of color in positions of authority.

Fiction provides people with cultural insights into what society could be and how it is now. Sherry Ortner, a distinguished professor of anthropology at UCLA, said of film’s role in culture: “How people use film varies. … Different people draw different messages from the films they watch. There’s no question that we as social people need … cultural frameworks that we (can) draw from films.”

But the cues drawn from fiction extend beyond film. Studies show that reading fiction and becoming engrossed in it actually makes the readers more empathetic. Fiction not only provides a potential model for culture, but also a greater insight into others’ emotions and perspectives, making for a more open-minded society. Even fiction that reflects the current culture can provide a differing, alternative perspective, like “The Hunger Games” novels’ dark prediction for modern America.

“I think it’s a broader kind of connection. … If you take (fiction) as a sort of mythology, it’s giving people stories that they can use to think about their lives,” said Ortner.

Stories, whether seen on a screen or read in a book, are a way of expressing our hopes for the future or commentary on the present. They are our way of connecting with people in a way that nonfiction can’t.

Whether fiction means analyzing every line of dialogue between your favorite characters, teasing out the true message of the creator or simply enjoying the story, fiction matters.