Final answer:
APA format is used in academic writing to ensure consistency, clarity, and proper citations, but not to make the text more visually appealing.
Step-by-step explanation:
APA format is used in academic writing for several reasons, including ensuring consistency and clarity, providing proper citations and references, and following a specific formatting style. However, making the text more visually appealing is not one of the reasons to use APA format. APA format focuses on the structural and organizational aspects of the paper rather than its visual presentation.