Decline in Reading Culture: Reasons & Effects - Research Paper

Introduction

Reading habits have changed over time (Caleb). Some of the changes have been positive, while others have been negative. Decline in reading culture is one of the most visible changes in reading culture. The current generations reads less than the previous generation. This paper seeks to establish the reasons for decline in reading in the current generation.

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The Decline of the Reading Culture

Various studies have confirmed the decline in reading culture. Contrary to the mainstream belief, the phenomenon is not only widespread among only the young but cuts across all demographics. The people that should serve as the role models for the young have also been affected by the trend. The growth of internet culture has been blamed as the main driver of the trend (Moon). People prefer reading news online rather than buying newspapers.

Moreover, rather than read books, prefer searching for various topics on the internet. However, the qualitative values of reading a book cannot be substituted with the knowledge acquired from the internet, which is, at times, worrisome (Pennington and Waxler 92). The status given to education has also gone down in the society. This can also be blamed for the decline in reading culture. Regardless of the cause, decline in reading leads to a loss of mode of thinking (Ulin 40). Therefore, there is a need to get the society back to a reading culture (Loh et al. 340). Children should be encouraged to read from an early age (Tralagba and Baro 85). To move with trend and respond to technology, online reading materials should be promoted and online book clubs should be set up (Mangen 260).

Annotated Bibliography

Caleb, Ajinomoh Ozovehe. "Millennial reading habits have changed the definition of a classic." 21 July 2018. Quartzy. 31 May 2019. <https://qz.com/quartzy/1332213/millennial-reading-habits-have-changed-the-definition-of-a-classic/>.

The author of this article traces the changing reading habits, since the 1980s. Contrary to the mainstream belief, he argues that the millennials have not stopped reading but have rather turned to modern equivalents such as e-books.

Loh, Chin Ee, et al. "Building a successful reading culture through the school library: A case study of a Singapore secondary school." IFLA journal 43.4 (2017): 335-347. <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0340035217732069>.

The authors indicate that there exists a correlation between academic achievement and independent reading. Therefore, there is a need to enhance the reading culture among students. According to the authors, this can be achieved by improving the school libraries.

Mangen, Anne. "The digitization of literary reading: contributions from empirical research." Orbis litterarum 71.3 (2016): 240-262. <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/oli.12095>.

The author explores the shift from paper-based literature to screen-based literature as avenues such as Kindle gain popularity. Though such avenues affect the emotional aspects of reading, the author argues that they cannot be ignored.

Moon, Jeenah. "How Technology Is (and Isn't) Changing Our Reading Habits." 17 January 2018. The New York Times. 31 May 2019. <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/technology/personaltech/how-technology-is-and-isnt-changing-our-reading-habits.html>.

In this article, the author demonstrates how technology has changed the reading culture. Though the author is doubtful of the future of physical bookstores, the article shows that the technology can be used to enhance reading.

Pennington, Martha C. and Robert P. Waxler. Why reading books still matters: the power of literature in digital times. 1st. New York: Routledge, 2017. <https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315210247>.

The authors presents the worrying trends of the rise of usage of the digital media and the decline in reading among both the young and the old. He argues that regardless of the shift, the power of reading books cannot be overlooked.

Tralagba, Chris E. and Emmanuel E. Baro. "School libraries as catalyst for the development of reading culture among students." Information Impact: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management 9.1 (2018): 80-88. <https://www.ajol.info/index.php/iijikm/article/view/175791>.

The authors admit that all stakeholders are concerned by the decline in reading culture in both primary and secondary schools. They recommend that school libraries should be used as catalysts to improve reading culture.

Ulin, David. "Not reading between the lines: Books aren't just informative, they offer a space for quiet reflection. What happens if we lose the art of reading?" Index on Censorship 47.3 (2018): 39-41. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306422018800256

The author presents statistics regarding the decline in reading culture among Americans. Other than the knowledge acquired from books, the author argues that reading helps the switch off from the digital noise and recharge.

Works Cited

Caleb, Ajinomoh Ozovehe. "Millennial reading habits have changed the definition of a classic." 21 July 2018. Quartzy. 31 May 2019. <https://qz.com/quartzy/1332213/millennial-reading-habits-have-changed-the-definition-of-a-classic/>.

Loh, Chin Ee, et al. "Building a successful reading culture through the school library: A case study of a Singapore secondary school." IFLA journal 43.4 (2017): 335-347. <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0340035217732069>.

Mangen, Anne. "The digitization of literary reading: contributions from empirical research." Orbis litterarum 71.3 (2016): 240-262. <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/oli.12095>.

Moon, Jeenah. "How Technology Is (and Isn't) Changing Our Reading Habits." 17 January 2018. The New York Times. 31 May 2019. <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/technology/personaltech/how-technology-is-and-isnt-changing-our-reading-habits.html>.

Pennington, Martha C. and Robert P. Waxler. Why reading books still matters: the power of literature in digital times. 1st. New York: Routledge, 2017. <https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315210247>.

Tralagba, Chris E. and Emmanuel E. Baro. "School libraries as catalyst for the development of reading culture among students." Information Impact: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management 9.1 (2018): 80-88. <https://www.ajol.info/index.php/iijikm/article/view/175791>.

Ulin, David. "Not reading between the lines: Books aren't just informative, they offer a space for quiet reflection. What happens if we lose the art of reading?" Index on Censorship 47.3 (2018): 39-41. <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306422018800256>.