Why we are reading less?
In your free time, reaching for a book might be the last thing on your mind. Yet only a few hundred years ago, it was considered one of the most sought-after forms of leisure. Where has this decline come from, and what does it mean for us today?
The age of print marked one of the most important social revolutions in history, as people began to read. It shaped the language, culture and dynamics of the era as something transformative: ordinary men and women held the unprecedented power of knowledge in their own hands. Due to the printing press, books became far more affordable and accessible through mass production, encouraging engaging thoughts and critical debates. In the 1800s, only 1 in 10 people could read. There was a small literate population, but reading was a central method of information and intellectual engagement amongst the literate. Contrastingly, 9 in 10 people can read today: there is a large literate population but reading competes with a diverse range of entertainment and digital information. Why do we reach for social media’s storytelling over a book’s storytelling?
This “reading revolution” marked the globe. It was an age of monumental works of knowledge and thought, with renowned names that are still taught and analysed in classrooms today. So, when did this form of entertainment get replaced so quickly?
In a modern society of social media, it is no wonder why our attention spans have rapidly declined: we are preferring short bursts of media rather than longer, more detailed tales. The digital world offers convenience. Stories are told in a click, compared to the longevity of written stories. It is understandable why the busy modern world reaches for short forms of information and entertainment. We are picking up physical books less. But is this necessarily a bad thing? Just like the printing press, digital media has allowed people to access information in brand new, equally beneficial ways. Perhaps what matters is not that we are reading less, but that the way we consume our stories constantly evolves. Many argue that nothing compares to reading on paper, and how the experience differs completely to reading digitally. Studies show that factors like eye strain, fatigue and brightness can limit the information retained when reading digitally. However, the positives can not be forgotten: convenience, accessibility and the ability to hold thousands of books in one device. It removes barriers to readers who may not have access to libraries or bookshops.
However, the consequences of following narratives through social media have a severe impact on the physical books in community. In effect, libraries and bookshops are struggling, posing a real threat to the mortality of physical books and narrative stories. With hundreds of years of stories documented on physical pages, it has been shown that reading protects cognitive decline, reduces stress, and relieves sleep issues: all being large problems in society today. It is also important to note that with the influx of information, much of social media is fabricated or exaggerated whereas published storytelling or news outlets are acclaimed and fact-checked, leading to less miscommunication and a greater touch with the reality of news and stories. It seems that reading is just what we need, yet nobody reaches for the bookshelf.
Ultimately, whether paper on screen is “better” depends on what we seek from reading: focus and reflection, or speed and accessibility. Yet it is important to recognise how important it is not to let reading die with all the benefits it brings. Both can co-exist as different expressions for the same love of storytelling.
Amber Collett
Sources:
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-screens-paper-effective-absorb-retain.html
https://unsplash.com/photos/bokeh-photography-of-open-book-0FRJ2SCuY4k
https://www.verywellhealth.com/benefits-of-reading-8723145
