Books serve to enlighten the intellect, touch the heart, and stir the conscience, fostering holistic growth and leaving lasting impressions on readers’ minds, hearts, and souls. They are the most reliable source for documenting the zeitgeist of history and a civilisation’s ethos, capturing the essence of their respective eras. Books contain timeless knowledge, wisdom, insights, and ideas that transcend generations, allowing readers to share interesting stories, valuable nuggets, and pearls of wisdom with their contemporaries and future generations. With their vast array of genres, fiction, humour, espionage, mystery, romance, and more, books cater to diverse readers, each with their unique dispositions, preferences, and curiosities.
Cultivating a custom and love for reading books and gaining knowledge is not inherent in every child from birth. It is instilled in their formative years through a cloistered upbringing by learned parents, immediate relatives, and scholarly teachers, who inspire and enlighten their minds, making this habit ingrained. These paragons of excellence play a profoundly positive role in shaping young minds, fostering creativity, promoting egalitarianism, building confidence, encouraging interfaith harmony, and instilling a thirst for inquiry-based knowledge and wisdom, all essential in the modern era. I was among the fortunate few who, at the age of 12, found an illustrious teacher, Khadim Hussain, an Old Ravian, medallist, polyglot, and my father’s elder brother, who helped me cultivate the habit of reading books and newspapers.
Books carry the immense power to transport readers into another world, offering a window into the minds of authors and allowing them to grasp their singular perspectives and angles of reasoning. Through their writings, authors share their experiences, insights, and wisdom, often leaving readers smiling, in awe, or deep in contemplation. As Oscar Wilde expressed in The Picture of Dorian Gray: “Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration and destroys the harmony of any face. The moment one sits down to think, one becomes all nose, or all forehead, or something horrid.” Such profound lines evoke a reflective mood, compelling readers to revisit them again and again.
Immersing oneself in books also serves as an escape from life’s cacophony, bringing breathing space and peace of mind. Books expand readers’ exposure, serving as a moral compass and a key to unlock the doors of wisdom. This distinguishes those who read them, empowering them to navigate life’s complexities with lucidity and purpose. A person armed with knowledge radiates positivity, confidence, calmness of mind, and patience, drawing others like a magnet, eager to listen and absorb the insights and pearls of wisdom communicated through words.
The future of our youth depends on the stories we tell, the books we read, and the skills and knowledge we impart
Today’s world is awash with information, yet genuine knowledge is scarce. As Elif Shafak, the renowned Turkish novelist, puts it: “The paradox is we’re living in an age in which we have way too much information—more than we can process—but very little knowledge and even less wisdom.”
However, with the advent of smartphones, and especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the culture of reading books and newspapers has sharply declined, giving way to social media apps, digital reading to some extent, and the downloading of PDF files and books for academic purposes. The pandemic accelerated this shift, leading to a significant decline in print readership and newspaper subscriptions. In response, newspapers transitioned to digital platforms, while students increasingly accessed digital content, reducing publications’ reach and forcing booksellers to struggle to survive. However, excessive digital reading or scrolling poses serious health risks, including sleeplessness, eye strain, and even cardiac problems.
Numerous other factors have also significantly contributed to discouraging youth from embracing books, seeking knowledge, and unlocking wisdom.
Firstly, children’s books often fall flat due to irrelevant content or teachers’ failure to breathe life into stories, neglecting to infuse excitement, mystery, and curiosity that spark imagination and leave a lasting impact on young minds.
Secondly, parents of Generation Z often fell short in their role, prioritising religious education limited to daily prayers and Quran recitation, without fostering a deeper understanding or instilling a love for reading in their children.
Thirdly, universities, colleges, and schools have prioritised paper credentials, grades, and certificates over substantive knowledge and skill-based learning. They need to reassess their approach and transition towards fostering inquiry-based and skill-oriented learning.
Fourthly, the dearth of public libraries in many cities nationwide has led to arduous commutes and hefty transportation costs. To bridge this gap, well-equipped public libraries should be established in every city, serving as vibrant hubs that promote reading, provide easy access to a wide array of books, and foster a culture of knowledge and awareness.
Fifthly, Pakistan is governed by the petty squabbles of political parties rather than by sensible voices. Our country sorely lacks visionary leaders who embody excellence and can shape positive minds and nurture a culture of reading and intellectual curiosity.
Lastly, mainstream media anchors neglect to promote the benefits of book reading to their viewers, especially the youth, prioritising instead sensational and vacuous political content for ratings that yield nothing. Moreover, social media apps and influencers have become powerful role models, shaping young minds, desires, habits, and thoughts in adverse ways, rather than parents fulfilling their roles. Parents must intervene to safeguard their children and reverse this trend.
These factors, in my view, deter young minds from reading, exploring, and growing. The future of our youth depends on the stories we tell, the books we read, and the skills and knowledge we impart. As Elif Shafak aptly puts it: “The purpose of reading is not to accumulate more information, but to understand the world and ourselves better.” Let us strive to create a society that values books, knowledge, wisdom, and critical thinking, and empowers our youth to become thoughtful, informed, and engaged citizens.