7 Reasons why books are losing their fame and How to get it back!

When our parents tell us their childhood stories , most of their summer hobbies included reading books or playing outside . Nowadays, if we ask youngsters or even adults about their favourite pastime, the usual answer is either video games , social media or just virtual chats. So where did the reading squad go? Why do kids no longer want to talk about their favourite authors? And why do people want to see ready-made movies but don’t want to put their own imagination to a well written story?

• 1. How many people actually ‘ENJOY’ reading?

According to recent surveys only about 40-50% of literate people actually enjoy reading.And generally it's better to have a percentage of around 70%. It used to be around the same percentage a few years ago before technology took over the world and people forgot to spend time for themselves and for their mental well being.

So, what are the ways to bring it back and who is the culprit? Find out ahead.

• 2. Are movies actually ‘READILY PLATTERED BOOKS’?

Other than course books many kids are not even aware of all the wonderful authors like Enid Blyton, Carolyn Keene etc. Books give us an alternate universe. They give their readers an imagination and maybe a character that the brain can work on. All movie adaptations of famous books like ‘The Harry Potter Series’ by J.K.Rowling present the creators imagination right on a plate. There is no room for much imagination and we never realise the alternatives for the storyline.

By the introduction of Audiobooks and online reading , people just find an excuse to not actually sit down and read a book. Online books help avid readers save some amount which would have gone on purchasing those actual books but it also takes down the true value of the authors.

Books must also be given the same value as other media!

• 3. How a ‘BOOK’ can be your ‘BEST FRIEND’!

There are more genres in books and such a wide variety to choose from. From fiction to self help . There is such an amazing line of books to choose from. Even under the same topic , every book has the particular author’s thought in it and hence so many views on a single topic.

Books help their readers have an imagination with no bounds. Where we can even make

or reduce certain characters. Books also act as a friend we can look back to when we need an answer. Writing, journaling , creative writing all of them are also closely related to the books we read or the experiences we gain. 

When we read , we are able to put our most bizarre imaginations into words that the reader can understand. Or else most of the time people seem to be at a loss for words.

• 4. The so-called “BORING” books!

What the current generation needs to understand is that books need not be boring. It can also have pictures and games. And people don’t lie when they say that a good book always speaks to its reader. A good book indeed can be our best friend. We just need to have the time to read it and an imagination to understand it.

The time we take to relax and wind down, to take a book and start reading is so neglected nowadays between our busy lives. We are now no longer conscious about our actions and what we like to relax with..

 

If you take away phones or basically any digital device from the new generation, they have no idea how to spend time.  It's not long before books go extinct and we live in a digital world with a loss of human imagination as everything is presented readymade for us on our plates.

Nowadays , students are mainly encouraged to only read course books or course related books.  Since childhood , the excitement of thriller stories and unsolved mysteries or the benefits of a self help book is never brought into the notice of the child and hence when they grow up, their thoughts about a book are usually described as “boring”.

This is because they have never been given an opportunity to look at different topics , lives of famous people or just the magic that words can create.

Here is something i personally learnt:
I once remember reading the world ‘formaldehyde’ in a Goosebumps book which is written by R.L.Stine. I never knew what it meant but knowing that the protagonist was going into a mortuary and smelled formaldehyde , made me realise that it was something used to preserve dead stuff. And in about a few months , while reading an ingredient list for a toothpaste, I realized it had formaldehyde. Being curious , I searched why would this be used for toothpastes and then I realised its usage and why it's used. All this was never taught to me at school or the amounts in which it is safely used in cosmetics and daily use pastes. But because of that one word in a book , I realised so much about a topic that I never would’ve known if it was any different.

• 5. ‘GOOD BOOKS’ and ‘CURIOSITY’ !

Good books and curiosity is such an amazing combination and it can lead to learning so much more about the world and how it works and why there are different professions and the way the world runs.

But we are so busy in our lives , we no longer care about our mental development but instead we want to work on a hamster wheel. And I say “ want” because anyone who genuinely wants to put some effort into reading will definitely find time to read. And the one who doesn't, has no one else to blame but oneself.

• 6. Parents and their ‘ROLE’ in introducing reading to their kids.

As a child, my mother got me books and made me read . My parents never told me to stick to my course books. They let me explore and now I know so many facts and have that thirst for reading which I wouldn't have had if not for my parents.

Hence to instill the reading habit in youngsters , the parents play a very important job in introducing kids to the fun and imaginative world of books.

A world that develops their brain and creative thinking and gives them different insights about life. Readers learn to look within themselves for solutions and are better at making solo decisions.

Also according to recent studies , the memory retention quality in people who read often is said to be much higher compared to those who don't read.

In sync with recent events people or rather kids have so much spare time to sit and read some books from amazing authors and find a hobby which is much more soothing to the eyes and brain than texting and surfing the internet or watching tonnes of youtube videos.

Developing a hobby and gathering new information can all be done through books and it also stimulates our brain in understanding things quickly and helps our mind in working efficiently.

Even after a long and tiring day of work , a book can help you relax while social media or just screen time stresses your eyes more. Even the most successful people like Sudha Murthy , Narayan Murthy and Ratan Tata speak about the benefits of good books and have written some amazing books themselves.

One of A.P.J.Abdul Kalam’s most famous quotes include :

“One best book is equal to a hundred good friends, but one good

friend is equal to a library.”

 - A.P.J.Abdul Kalam.

This quote stands true on so many grounds. As one starts reading a book, at first it's a form of retreat or mental enrichment, later on we get engulfed into the storyline or the incidents that the very book becomes our best companion.

• 7. Are there any ‘CONS’ of reading good books?

After reading so many pros about books , one might wonder of the cons. Well the only few cons of books are:

1. They are made of paper so they aren't super ”environment friendly” but even this is taken care of with digital books and also recyclable books.

2. They take time and effort to sit back and read. Though it might not be as easy as plugging in earphones and watching a video, reading a book has its own charm and looking back it isn't exactly a con but instead it helps to draw back from your hectic lifestyle and find some peace.

So , when you think about it there aren't any cons of reading a book.

Instead of creating humans , the world is now creating robots who have no knowledge about other events other than what has been included in their studies to get a degree and a job.

Students are not able to realize a dream world or an imaginary world which would previously provide us solace in our busy lives.

As long as we don’t instill in ourselves and our kids the need to read and the benefits of reading, we will never be able to understand the worth of a book.

So,

GET. SET, READ!

If you used to read before and lost the touch now , go ahead and and pickup that all time favourite book on your shelf and ; 

If you haven't read one yet , get started by researching some good books in your favourite genre.

Afterall, it is never too late to start!

16.06.2020

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By : Aditi Padiyar