According to a recent survey carried out by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, 3 in 4 Pakistanis (75%) claim not to read any books at all; only 9% are avid readers.
Unbelievable!
75% of #Pakistanis who can read or write have NEVER once read a book outside their syllabus – @GallupPak – https://t.co/uYEa4MMqWD https://t.co/Uxy608iFqt— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) September 10, 2020
A nationally representative sample of men and women from across the four provinces was asked, “How many hours do you spend in a day reading books (course books, religious books, novels, magazines, poetry, etc.)?”
In response, 16% said that they spend an hour in a day reading books, 3% said 2 hours, 2% said 3 hours, 2% said 4 hours, 2% said more than 4 hours, and a staggering 75% said they did not spend any time reading any kind of book.
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Pakistani Society: Decline in book reading
It was not long ago when book reading culture was a visible landmark of the educated lot — books were considered the source of knowledge for developing verbal abilities, improving concentration, enhancing imagination, and reducing stress.
Book reading habits also instill the spirit of tolerance among the readers for respecting the opposite views.
However, over the years, in Pakistani society, reading habits were gradually faded away, particularly among the youth. It was astonishing to see the results of the Gallup and Gillani Foundation Pakistan, according to which, three out four students in the country never read a book at all except the course-books and that too only for passing the exams.
Reading books builds character and society
Reading of productive books is considered building blocks for character, society, and nation at large. It is a window to the world of knowledge: economy, politics, history, literature, and culture.
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The culture of reading is crucial for independent knowledge acquisition and lifelong learning. It builds the essential attributes for self-advancement and national development. But it seems as if we are living in an age of browsing the internet, playing with cell phones, and sending text messages — reading a book in a peaceful corner of a library has turned into an archaic idea. Pakistanis read books
Is technology to blame?
A number of reasons could be held responsible for the decline of book reading culture amongst the youth, but out of all, the top most was found as the internet technology. It has affected reading habits more than anything else among school, college, and university students.
No doubt, technology has helped developed society in different ways, but at the same time, it is robbing away the true charm of life that we were grown up with — sinking and swimming in the world of reading books. The reading habit if not encouraged would be left just a habit talked about and followed by old generation. It is said that for sustaining a strong reading culture among the school-going-kids, misuse of internet technology should be banned.
GVS News Desk with input from online sources