Subhechcha Ganguly 
The habit of reading is diminishing, and I wonder why? Are we moving towards a world where reels/shorts are the only way we want our news or consume content? Are the pleasures of picking up a book, finding a cosy spot and indulging in a book as time flies by, done and dusted?
What are the teens reading? Perhaps a lot of manga or non-fiction, but I’m not sure if a book is really their deal. They might also consume content from aggregator channels and under 59-second content through reels and shorts. Yet, what are the changes they will get from the pleasure of a book that they can touch? Let’s not lose hope for them.
Is reading diminishing? Let’s weigh in more for answers. For the boomer, X, and millennials, books still hold a special place in their hearts. Study materials, fiction, non-fiction and storybooks; those were the days, and thankfully, those days have not seen their sunset yet!
The reading moved to multiple screens and devices, and yes, all of this counts for screentime, which is a debate for another day. Blend their reading patterns with prompts on generative artificial intelligence platforms, and we have millions of people ingesting content without reading and soaking in the true meaning.
Will non-readers turn hollow? We shudder to think of this happening, since everything from getting up and leading through the moments of our lives needs context, discipline and a sense of urgency to learn; however, if everything is at a click-of-a-button, then convenience will overpower concentration and disrupt the learning paradigm.
What’s the best we can do? Simple. Pick up a book, or seek recommendations from those who have been able to play the balancing act between screens and sobriety, aka the joys of reading books.
Furthering what can be a better way to learn is: Pick a topic daily, research it, take some time to grasp the impact of it on people, and write about it in your own words. Voila! You’ve now brought your own perspective to it, and the ripple effect of different perspectives!
I would like to believe that people still push themselves to read because diverse perspectives have the power to drive better narratives and bring iterative improvements within our society.
Perhaps, we can be those messiahs, who always lead a change by uniting people with the past, and embracing the future with the right intent.
Oh, before that, remember to read, feed your mind and add on to the wisdom around us! You will be glad you did so.
Keep reading and let the learning journey inspire everyone. All aboard! Let’s shine and prosper.
#ReadShareInspire #ReadingForGrowth
