Make books and newspapers your companions
your perspective of living and viewing life will change

Dr. Satyawan Saurabh *

31st Imphal Book Fair at State Central Library & Manipur State Archives Complex, Imphal on December 24th 2024 :: Pix - David M Mayum

Ironically, many parents also believe that jokes, entertainment, making reels, and eating whatever one wants are the keys to happiness and enjoyment in life. As a result of this consumerist mindset, the acquisition of knowledge and values ​​by the youth has almost stopped. However, since there are no newspapers, magazines, or books in the homes, it is unfair to blame the youth.

If there is a book, newspaper, or magazine, the child will at least see the picture and start wondering. That is not the case now. If parents do not even care about the names of leading magazines and newspapers, what is the fault of the youth in this? Unless parents pay attention, this problem will not be solved. Since most parents do not read anything themselves, what and whom will they talk to?

Young people are losing interest in books due to the increasing use of the Internet. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms are rapidly changing the reading habits of young Indians. The spread of smartphones and almost free Internet services has further accelerated this process of changing habits. Instant Maggi is a part of the young generation.

As a result, they use Google to manage their lives. The older generation, who once read books, gave purpose to their lives by working hard, patiently, and diligently. Books were very important for problem-solving, especially autobiographies. Earlier, parents also suggested reading books. If you do not read books and newspapers now, then develop the habit of reading from today itself.

You are probably not aware of so many benefits of reading books. Nowadays, when the young generation wakes up in the morning, they start using their smartphones to browse social media sites instead of reading newspapers.

No matter how popular a TV show is, families no longer gather together to watch it as they used to. Instead, they continue to keep themselves busy with social media apps on their phones. According to experts, the digital industry will revolutionize even more. As a result, there have been, and will continue to be, changes in life and reading habits.

Books are considered to be man's best friend. However, in today's busy world, there are very few people who read books. Reading books is not really a habit that should be associated with entertainment. Instead, you should include it in your daily schedule. Given that books make people happy. When asked when was the last time they read a book, most people will look surprised.

Apart from students enrolled in school and college, this question is also asked by working youth who are actively involved in determining their future after graduation. In today's busy world, people are avoiding reading. Every successful and admirable person in the world has the habit of reading books. Books are considered to be man's best friend.

Reading regularly is not only good for your health, but it also increases your knowledge. It also changes a person's attitude towards life and thoughts. No matter how popular the Internet becomes, reading books will always remain the best option. Talking about the benefits of reading books, there are many. When you read a book, your attention is focused on one area. The habit of reading every day improves focus.

You also feel like working on a project. Newspapers publish articles on many topics, including politics, science, technology, art, and culture, as well as articles by well-known authors and subject experts. Children who read regularly get a chance to gain new knowledge.

Due to lack of knowledge, you have to remain silent in many situations. You are unable to speak clearly or feel too shy to do so. Reading increases knowledge and information. Based on which you can discuss any topic anywhere with anyone. Reading books increases the confidence to speak and communicate. It is said that good writing is possible only by speaking well.

By reading books, you start making connections between the ideas and strategies they discuss in your life. You start applying them in your life at the same time. As soon as you read a horror or suspenseful novel, you start imagining its characters and events. Then you start trying to understand the ending of the novel without reading it completely.

Teaching the current generation to read newspapers is challenging, as they are either fascinated by their devices or prefer to read fiction. The factual presentation in newspapers is tedious and tiring for most of them. However, you can make newspaper reading one of your child’s favorite pastimes by implementing some innovative ideas, and once he develops the habit, it will remain for life.

After reading a novel or a storybook, you are able to remember its characters and setting for a very long time. Reading daily improves your memory and recall. Your memory gets better every day. This is how the brain develops. You may have read or heard the saying that if you are not able to sleep, start reading a book to fall asleep.

Reading a book before sleeping at night makes your brain feel tired and relaxes the nerves of your brain, which leads to good sleep. Therefore, make it a habit to read before sleeping every day to sleep comfortably. A person's true friend is a book. They help you get rid of your loneliness. Whenever you are bored or lonely, you should read. Reading regularly gives you new energy.

Your mood changes, and as a result, you feel more relaxed. It is important that young people understand that the Internet mainly serves as a source of information rather than knowledge. Therefore, it should be limited to information only. Internet users have different attitudes, and the loneliness of young people can be easily felt. On the other hand, books can help young people become more imaginative.

This was also seen earlier. It is possible that the older generation used to think and behave more politely and softly than the current generation. In real life, relationships and contacts are decreasing due to attachment to the virtual world. This creates a new risk. Additionally, warning signs have started appearing in some places. In this case, parents have to do this.

According to the development of intelligence, this will become a crisis in the coming years, because after ten years, these youths aged twelve to twenty will have grown up even more, and if they have no knowledge, then what will they be able to teach the next generation?

When discussing this, some people from the younger generation often claim that they can get the same content on their mobile device that middle-aged and older people read in newspapers and magazines. While this is true, they should consider whether they use that mobile device to read about economic policy, defense, or education, or whether they use it to research the news or the potential of glitzy, glamorized, superficial entertainment.

Ironically, many parents also believe that jokes, entertainment, making reels, and eating whatever they want are the keys to happiness and enjoyment in life. This consumerist mindset has resulted in the youth's acquisition of knowledge and values ​​almost stopping. However, since there are no newspapers, magazines, or books in homes, it is unfair to blame the youth.

If there is a book, newspaper, or magazine, the child will at least see the picture and start wondering. This is not the case now. If parents do not even care about the names of leading magazines and newspapers, what is the fault of the youth? Unless parents pay attention, this problem will not be solved. Since most parents do not read anything themselves, what and whom will they talk to?