How Pop Culture is Making Reading Cool Again in Indian Classrooms: From Comics to Classroom Libraries

Alright, let’s be honest- reading was once that fun, interesting hobby of choice. There were children curled up with a book, immersed in the stories, dreaming themselves as warriors, magicians, or superheroes. However, at some point, reading became rather unpopular—children preferred binge-watching TV shows and spending hours on Instagram or TikTok rather than reading. But we see a light at the end of this tunnel, and it is glowing brighter with every passing day! It seems reading is cool again and we have pop culture to thank for it. From comics and graphic novels, fan fiction, and digital book platforms, literacy is going into the 21st century, and schools are slowly following (or at least attempting to).

And let’s begin with the simplest object possible—the so-called comics. Do you still recall how it was, when comics were considered as mere entertainment and could not be referred to as reading in any way? Well, news flash: they are now one of the most popular methods of making children read books once again. Whether it is Percy Jackson, Harry Potter or even Marvel and DC comics, children are fangirling/fanboying really hard for these narratives. Not only after school or in their leisure hours. And these stories are getting into classrooms as well. Schools have finally begun to acknowledge that comics and graphic novels can be as informative and engaging as the gigantic books that no one has any desire to open (and you know that that’s true).

School Libraries, which used to be dusty places with old and rarely read books, are now changing. Now, you can find shelves with graphic novels, books related to popular culture, and even manga! Schools are beginning to understand that if you put in the hands of children something fun and interesting, they will read it. Moreover, with visuals taking over every device we possess, it is only logical that children would be more attracted to books that have a strong visual component.

But it doesn’t stop there—teachers are getting creative too. Some schools have introduced events such as “Book Character Dress-Up Days” whereby children go to school dressed as characters from books and comic strips. Just think of an entire classroom filled with Percy Jacksons, Wonder Women, and Harry Potters—how cool is that? Not only is it a laugh but it also encourages imagination and creativity. Oh, and we desperately need that. Frankly, it is high time that schools stopped using the library period as an excuse for subject teachers to make up for lost time. Allow children to immerse themselves in stories, discover new worlds and think for themselves because if we do not, we are merely programming them to be little bookworms and robots. And that is a huge sign of trouble because innovation is the true power of the future.

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Now, here’s the thing: we currently live in times when attention spans are shorter than ever and video content is massive. Children watch YouTube videos, Instagram stories, and TikToks every day, so it is a challenge to make them sit down and read a book. But that’s exactly why reading needs to be reimagined for this generation. The old paradigm of books and reading – curling up with a thick novel – just doesn’t work anymore. It is our imperative to introduce as much fun in reading as there is fun in the digital world children are so accustomed to.

Come other digital platforms such as Kindle, Scribblehub, Wattpad, and StoryWeaver. These platforms have made reading possible no matter where one is. Children are now avid readers of e-books, joining online reading groups, and even writing their own fan fiction. I mean, come on, how awesome is that? For instance, with Kindle, you have an entire library in the palm of your hand and that is something that appeals to today’s kids who are always attached to their gadgets. Rather than mindlessly scrolling through memes, they are swiping through pages of e-books, and that’s a victory in my book (literally).

Another massive factor in this reading revolution is the fan culture. Thanks to such platforms as Wattpad, children are not only reading; they are also writing! It means they are writing their own stories, posting them online where people from different parts of the world can read them, and interacting with other young writers. It is like having your own fan base and children are all about that now. Whether it is writing the sequels of their favorite TV shows or coming up with new fictional universes based on pop references, these children are redefining the concept of literacy. They are not passively reading stories, they are actively constructing them.

In essence, literacy is not just a process of learning to read and write but also involves the ability to read and write for a purpose. It is about participation, cognition, and imagination. But come on, the method of teaching and learning literacy cannot be the same as what is used in schools. We can no longer simply depend on the traditional ways of doing things. The world is dynamic and so is reading, which is a very important aspect of learning and knowledge acquisition. If the goal is to raise readers for life, and thinkers as well- then it is imperative that reading remains relevant. And thanks to pop culture, it seems that we are on the right track.

So, here’s to the schools that are waking up and smelling the coffee. To the teachers who are using pop culture to make literacy cool again. And to the kids who are picking up comics, joining digital book clubs, and writing their own stories. Because in a world dominated by technology, reading is not only the art of survival, but the art of success.

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