“The man who does not read good books is no better than the
man who can’t.” – Mark Twain
Over the past year and half interacting with youngsters, through continuous mentor-ship at a youth literary organisation, I have learnt with sadness that the youth of this generation has lost touch with books. Reading among the youth has deteriorated so much that it raises concern.
The reading habit has been a great help in developing knowledge for the people of my generation.But today, in an age when browsing the internet, playing with smartphones throughout the day has had its debilitating effect on reading and also the quest for knowledge. Technology is taking firm control over individual lives, and reading is fast vanishing into thin air.
Not just reading good books, but even reading the daily newspaper is considered archaic. NO I'm not making a fleeting generalisation from limited observation. The malady is rampant.
One of the recent obsessions is the game of PubG. A majority of time each day is taken up by this addicting game, and its effects are alarming.
Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds or PUBG has become one of the most popular online multiplayer games ever seen and since the game was released for smartphones in form of PUBG Mobile, it has seen a massive reach among youngsters as well as gaming enthusiasts. With the increasing popularity of PubG, a debate has also started around the world where people are worried about addiction to this online game and the kind of mental damage it can cause. Schools have started warning parents against letting their kids play the game for extended hours after cases of addiction came to light. Here I am not talking about the ill effects of the game or advocating for its restraint, I am more worried about how reading newspapers and books don't get the same type of addiction?
There is no denying the fact that today’s students are under pressure for performance and the academic pursuit, with extreme peer pressure, leaves little or no time for quality reading. However, what baffles is the amount of time spent on mobile phones and dedicated time for non-physical sport - PubG and the like.
Reading books is crucial for gaining knowledge and lifelong learning. It builds in a person the essential attributes for self-advancement and development. But today, most free time that the youth have is taken up by social networking, smartphone games, TV and entertainment. The more the youth is taking to social networking sites, the less time they have for the printed word. While Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites are far more appealing to the youth, it is sad to see that these are used more for entertainment rather than knowledge enhancement.
The appalling fall in readership numbers of daily newspapers and the equally dwindling sales of leading booksellers and publishers confirm the growing apathy of the youth towards reading.
The youth of the day is totally oblivious to the fact that book reading not only nourishes the soul but rejuvenates the human intellect in probing deeper, analysing things, and providing guidance to people, to instances of life that they have not yet been exposed to.
The habit of reading enables the mind to think over objects of interest and helps a person in making informed decisions. Unfortunately, the number of book readers is continuously decreasing, which is an indication of scarcity of knowledge in future.
So, what is the solution?
Mandatory reading sessions in schools and colleges. Speaking forums that give impetus to inculcating the habit of reading. Celebrities championing the cause of reading – the youth follows by example, leading icons can create awareness for their fans/followers to emulate.
A revolution is needed, indeed!
---------------------------------
The reading habit has been a great help in developing knowledge for the people of my generation.But today, in an age when browsing the internet, playing with smartphones throughout the day has had its debilitating effect on reading and also the quest for knowledge. Technology is taking firm control over individual lives, and reading is fast vanishing into thin air.
Not just reading good books, but even reading the daily newspaper is considered archaic. NO I'm not making a fleeting generalisation from limited observation. The malady is rampant.
One of the recent obsessions is the game of PubG. A majority of time each day is taken up by this addicting game, and its effects are alarming.
There is no denying the fact that today’s students are under pressure for performance and the academic pursuit, with extreme peer pressure, leaves little or no time for quality reading. However, what baffles is the amount of time spent on mobile phones and dedicated time for non-physical sport - PubG and the like.
Reading books is crucial for gaining knowledge and lifelong learning. It builds in a person the essential attributes for self-advancement and development. But today, most free time that the youth have is taken up by social networking, smartphone games, TV and entertainment. The more the youth is taking to social networking sites, the less time they have for the printed word. While Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites are far more appealing to the youth, it is sad to see that these are used more for entertainment rather than knowledge enhancement.
The appalling fall in readership numbers of daily newspapers and the equally dwindling sales of leading booksellers and publishers confirm the growing apathy of the youth towards reading.
The youth of the day is totally oblivious to the fact that book reading not only nourishes the soul but rejuvenates the human intellect in probing deeper, analysing things, and providing guidance to people, to instances of life that they have not yet been exposed to.
The habit of reading enables the mind to think over objects of interest and helps a person in making informed decisions. Unfortunately, the number of book readers is continuously decreasing, which is an indication of scarcity of knowledge in future.
So, what is the solution?
Mandatory reading sessions in schools and colleges. Speaking forums that give impetus to inculcating the habit of reading. Celebrities championing the cause of reading – the youth follows by example, leading icons can create awareness for their fans/followers to emulate.
A revolution is needed, indeed!
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Pics courtesy: Internet
