Reading habits almost extinct

APART from many benefits the electronic age has brought it has also resulted in demise of the reading habits particularly in younger generations. Our youngsters today are addicted to the social media and spend more time on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok and the printed word holds no fascination for them. According to a survey by Gallup and Gilani only 28% Pakistanis read books beyond academic texts and 75% of the students do not read any books at all because of their fascination with social media and electronic gadgets available so easily. The decline in reading books for pleasure is a widely acknowledged phenomenon driven by digital distractions, short-form content, and shortened attention spans. This shift away from traditional reading reduces opportunities for deep focus and limits the cognitive benefits associated with immersing oneself in a good story. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”(George R. R. Martin) We’re all reading something or the other at all times. Some people read the newspaper first thing when they wake up in the morning. Others may only read articles that interest them. Different individuals read for different purposes; it could be to acquire knowledge or simply for leisure purposes. Reading is one of the cheapest yet most adequate ways of obtaining information. To get an update on the latest world affairs, there are newspapers. When there’s something you’re not sure about and perhaps want to get a clearer idea of a particular topic, you research about it. Countless published studies or articles by experts may help you solve your problem without much effort. A study by Naveed Sehar about the ‘Reading Habits among Undergraduate Students of NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan’ shows that, out of the 50 students the study was conducted on, 80% were those who read. Out of that 80%, 52.5% prefer to read printed books, while the remaining percentage would rather use e-