BELONGING to the generation X (Born Between 1965-1980), I have journeyed through time with a sharp twist and ever-evolving landscape in technology and gadgets. From bulky fewer-channelled TVs to slim HD ones, from heavy telephones with cords to wireless smart phones, from film-developed cameras to digital cameras, from in-person gossips to social media apps, from board games and action figures to video gaming, it seems as if ‘faster’, smaller and ‘sophisticated’ are the only buzzwords of present time. From physical books and printed newspapers to screens and algorithms, reading also has shown a hurtling twist. Journeying through this oblivious future of reading, it seems inevitable that the multifaceted aspects that shape our reading habits and potential consequences of digital trajectory may be explored.
The way we access and interact with the written content these days has revolutionized greatly owing to the advent of modern technology. A myriad of choices are at the fingertips of readers in forms of e-books, audio-books and online articles. No doubt that the level of accessibility and convenience is unmatchable. However, their impact on our cognitive processes, attention spans and overall reading experience is yet questionable. Being an academician/researcher at a public university for the last 21 years, I have had an opportunity of having witnessed the faculty member’s trends in reading, either for themselves or for the purpose of dissemination to their students (delivering lectures). It worries me to question the extent of obliviousness towards which we are heading. Cognitive abilities such as critical thinking and analyses allied with attention span once considered to be the most powerful tools of a successful teacher are now at a sharp decline. And it seems imperative here to plausibly attribute this decline on the changing pattern of reading habits, not only in teachers but in all and sundry.
Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon, a psychologist and an economist, coined the term ‘attention economy’ and posited that attention was the “bottleneck of human thought” which limits both what we can perceive in stimulating environments and what we can do. He also noted that “a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention,” suggesting that multitasking is a myth. With social media, streaming services and a constant onslaught of notifications competing for our focus, the act of sustained, deep reading is under threat. The ‘attention economy’ has given rise to the phenomenon of “skim reading” and “scrolling,” where readers graze the surface of information without truly immersing themselves in the text. I term such readers as ‘patchy readers’ or ‘spot readers’.
Gone are the times when teachers used to consult more than one book for a particular subject/topic, made hand-written notes from those books and strived for solid dissemination to their students. The knowledge thus attained through this vigorous reading used to have deep-rooted impact and was long-lived in the minds of the readers. Since childhood I remember my father always advising me to consult at least three books for preparing a specific topic. This would today be dubbed as an old-fashioned, old-schooled and conventional approach.
In today’s digital hi-tech world, a teacher merely googles out the relevant information pertaining to a specific topic/title and bingo, he’s good to deliver a whole lecture. This shift poses challenges for comprehension, critical thinking and the development of nuanced perspectives. One of the defining features of the oblivious future of reading is the role of algorithms in shaping our literary experiences. Recommendation algorithms, employed by platforms like Amazon, Netflix and social media, curate content based on our preferences and behaviours. While this personalization can enhance the reading experience by introducing readers to new genres and authors, it also raises concerns about the formation of echo chambers and the potential loss of serendipity in discovering diverse perspectives.
As digital reading continues to gain prominence, the fate of print culture hangs in the balance. Independent bookstores and print publications face unprecedented challenges, with e-books and online content often overshadowing their physical counterparts. The nostalgic scent of a book or the tactile pleasure of turning pages may become increasingly rare, prompting us to reflect on the cultural significance and emotional resonance of the printed word.
Having compared reading habits and trends through various generations starting from ‘silent generation’ (Born Between 1928-1945) to today’s ‘alpha generation’ (Born Between 2010-2024), it seems evident that though the ‘Generation Z’ (Born Between 1997-2012) did turn towards book reading during the COVID pandemic, yet they could never attain a sustained and persevered reading trend of ‘Millennials/Generation Y’ (Born Between 1981-1996).
In 2019, a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani – an affiliate of Gallup International- released the report of their survey on reading habits and claimed that 75 percent of respondents said they do not read books at all. And the 25% who read included those reading course books, religious literature and magazines. Since 2019, I am pretty sure that the scores for non-readers may have escalated even higher.
Blame it on the adults and teachers in specific as probably; they failed to inculcate the attitude of knowledge-seeking through the pleasures of book reading in children and their students. Striking a balance between harnessing the potential of ever-lurking technology and preserving the essence of traditional reading experiences is a formidable task for educators and policymakers alike. It is imperative to remain vigilant, fostering a collective awareness of the consequences of our digital choices to ensure that the timeless joys and benefits of reading endure in the face of rapid technological evolution.
—The writer is Professor Physiology at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur.
Email: umer.farooq@iub.edu.pk
views expressed are writer’s own.
