Holding on to the reading tradition. Do we need another Harry Potter?

It was an old soliloquy by Shakespeare that said, “To be or not to be, is a question to be answered” which could be modified for today’s generation  as, “To read or not to read, is a question to be answered”! There was a time when Oliver Twist or Pip or Hamlet were people we knew as well as we knew ourselves. It was when guillotine of Sydney Carton left us crying our eyes out and when the majestic dragons came to life through Eragon. They were not just novels or some literature that was widely read and appreciated. They were means of understanding a vision as seen by the author. It was about a passion that readers followed and lived not because they wanted to flaunt it, but because they actually loved it.

Reading is an activity which can grip you and  teleport you to a different world, an activity that could make your brain function differently, a channel that opens several other streams. Sadly, we have to say that it has become a habit which has been restricted to course books or newspaper only.

It is no mystery why reading habits have taken a backseat amongst teenagers, thanks to competitiveness that has overburdened them. Reading for them has been limited to course books or competition or for some teenagers it is as much as a newspaper can offer them. But is it enough? Most of the time a child is introduced to reading through school, however, nowadays schools are directing students towards books for mere completion of a project at the most. Such projects are easily available online and can either be purchased or downloaded for free. Just in case if a student decides to do it on his own, then again, reading becomes a process to be followed rather than an activity to be enjoyed at leisure. It is alarming that the habit so keenly taken and religiously followed in the past is being forced upon students.

NZCER research ‘Competent learners at 14’ shows that those teens who enjoy reading are more likely to succeed in school and in their engagement with their various communities and at the same time, Common Sense Media has released the result of their research “Children, Teens and reading” concluding that reading rates have dropped precipitously among adolescents.

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It is not that kids today dislike reading or prefer taking no interest in it whatsoever. We have all seen the phenomenal effect Harry Potter created in the world. It moved every child.. It was just a matter of time before every child wanted to get enrolled in  Hogwarts and play Quidditch . The praise for the book and author went as high as The Herald, saying, "I have yet to find a child who can put it down." The enigma of the wizarding world was not left untouched by India either. Harry Potter and his gang became a household name and one of the most anticipated characters. Needless to say that the sequels of the book were massive  back to back hits . They were the best sellers and the most awaited ones as well. Irrespective of the fact that the books  have been made into movies the charm of books remained intact.

This brings us back to our main question, why is it that the teens today are not reading as much as they should? The main reason behind it could be the guardians themselves. In most of the households, parents are too busy and reading as an option never dawns to them. Children do what they see. If they are presented with their role model not giving valued time to a book, it is likely that they too will not pick it up as a habit.

The main reason behind it is too much involvement of smart phones and computers. Teenagers prefer spending most of the free time being online over social networking, watching TV, chatting over phone etc. Teens today define leisure as time they spend meeting their friends rather staying home tuned to a book. Virtual reality and video games too  havespoiled the old world charm of reading and our generation next is paying for it. They  perceive it as a boring activity without realizing the essence they are missing. Not many of them relate themselves  to reading something that does not cover their school course. In a nutshell they have started taking reading as an activity done at school and limited to the school vicinity. There is another group of children, who prefer buying books and adding them up to their libraries so that they can show it off among their social circle. It sounds weird but it is the truth and as a practice is  spreading hard and fast. 

When a child is constantly watching TV or playing violent or not so violent videogames, he is risking his brain development . A book helps them relax their mind making it involve in the surroundings offered by the author. Again, the question is what should be the role of “the parents” here? Well! As a parent and a guardian it is our duty to rectify the situation before it’s too late. It is our job to make sure reading is taken as a hobby and not as a burden. We shall not forget that it is an exercise for our brain and helps children in focusing. Every child should be taught that a good read will help them understand an idea or belief different from the world around them. It is our responsibility to make our teens realize that reading helps in developing their imaginations which could benefit them in future. It sounds easy but can prove to be the most difficult task to manoeuvre. However, all we need is to give them a gentle push. A spark of curiosity and it will not be long when children will find themselves surrounded by the characters as historical as Harry Potter all over again.

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