Reading culture in the digital age

(Baohatinh.vn) - Some people still maintain traditional reading habits, but many others access knowledge through new means. Instead of reading paper books, they turn to e-books, audiobooks, etc.

I still remember my childhood days, when going to the used bookstore with my dad was always a source of immense excitement. The smell of yellowed paper, the towering stacks of books, the worn-out pages… all created a uniquely captivating atmosphere that I could spend hours exploring .

During the years my father worked away from home, the gifts he sent my sisters and me were always books. Every time we received a letter and a gift from him, we would cheer and compete to be the first to read. Even now, I still vividly remember the fragrant scent of the paper. It has become an important part of my childhood, and every time I smell it again, my heart aches with nostalgia, and my eyes well up with tears.

Later, when I went to the capital to study at university, I still maintained the habit of reading books every day... (Illustrative image from the Internet).

I grew up surrounded by books like that. Later, when I went to the capital to study at university, I still maintained the habit of reading daily. On weekends, I would make time to visit used bookstores on Lang Street. Somewhere on Ba Trieu Street, there was a tiny used bookstore, but many generations of students knew it for two reasons: firstly, it had many rare books, and secondly, the owner was very arrogant. He could get irritable and readily refuse to sell books to customers just because they asked questions he considered unnecessary.

I used to spend hours lying around reading Murakami Haruki's "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle," feeling as if I were lost in a world both vague and profound. And on summer nights, I would read Nguyen Ngoc Tu's "The Endless Field," my heart filled with pity for the innocent yet suffering lives of those I encountered. Sometimes I would stay up late reading Doan Minh Phuong's "And When the Ashes Fall," vaguely contemplating love and loneliness in the hearts of modern people. Those pages not only provided aesthetic pleasure but also opened doors that helped me understand myself better.

But then one day, I realized I was gradually abandoning my nightly reading habit. Day after day, week after week, the books on my shelf were no longer opened as often as before. They were replaced by phones and tablets, with news flashing by in seconds on the screen.

Instead of reading physical books, they turn to e-books, audiobooks, or even in-depth articles on online platforms... (Illustrative image from the Internet).

It's easy to see that nowadays, in cafes, people are interacting with their phones more than ever before. Scrolling through Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, young people seem indifferent to everything else, including books. I myself am swept up in the flow of social media with its countless attractive things. Sometimes it's not necessarily because of the attractiveness of the content, but because of its high entertainment value, harmless yet helping people pass the time when they are bored or have nothing to do. And sometimes I suddenly wonder: Is reading culture gradually disappearing? Or is it simply changing in a way that I haven't yet realized?

It must be acknowledged that reading is no longer a natural priority in many people's lives. We have so much to worry about: work, studies, social media, captivating short videos , endless conversations on online platforms. Sitting down, opening a book, and dedicating our full attention to it has become a luxury. Even I – someone who used to spend afternoons engrossed in reading – have gone months without touching a book. Every time I think about reading, I'm tempted by a new notification, a trending video, or simply the urge to relax with something more "digestible."

Books have never disappeared from my life; they're just being drowned out by too much other noise...

But I also realized: books have never disappeared from my life, they're just being drowned out by so much other noise. Before, I could spend an entire afternoon with a thick novel, but now, I read online articles, follow news from websites, and even listen to audiobooks while commuting. Reading hasn't disappeared; it's just no longer limited to traditional books. The reading culture hasn't vanished; it's just not the same as before. Fewer people read physical books in silence, but they still read, in new ways. Some choose e-books, some listen to audiobooks while working, some read lengthy articles on specialized platforms, and some still maintain the habit of reading every night, even if it's just one chapter.

In the literary genre, recent studies indicate that short stories and novels attract more reader interest than other genres such as poetry and essays. The majority of readers choose literary works based on inspiration or enjoyment, with only a small number reading out of habit. The primary purpose of reading is entertainment, relaxation, and to enhance knowledge and understanding of life.

Some people maintain traditional reading habits, but many others access knowledge through new means. Instead of classic literary works, they choose skill-building books, comics, or self-help books. Instead of reading physical books, they turn to e-books, audiobooks, or even in-depth articles on online platforms. They not only read but also share and discuss what they read on social media and in book-loving groups. With online literature, where works are uploaded in installments and authors await reader feedback and participation, readers even interact, pushing for endings they desire, becoming co-authors. This is also one of the advantages of online literature, expanding the role of the reader, encouraging their imagination and creativity, and preventing them from being passive readers.

Albert Einstein Primary, Secondary & High School (Ha Tinh City) organized the program "Reading in the Digital Age".

Another challenge for modern reading culture is competition with other forms of entertainment. Readers are easily drawn to short videos and fast-paced content instead of taking the time to read at a leisurely pace. With so many attractive options, reading becomes a less preferred choice.

That's why the trend of fast reading, short readings, and reading thin books has become popular. Besides that, comics are also favored by many people because they are easy to read, quick to finish, and easy to understand. A long article might be skipped, but a concise summary attracts many readers. I don't deny the convenience of this, but at the same time, I worry that we are gradually losing the habit of deep reading – a habit that helps us reflect on and understand issues more comprehensively.

I've tried reading on my phone and tablet before, but it didn't feel as complete as holding a real book. I was easily distracted by notifications on the screen, and sometimes I just skimmed through without really reflecting. But I also can't deny that reading e-books offers many advantages: I can store hundreds of books on a compact device, and read anywhere, anytime without worrying about the weight of thick books.

One of the things that worries me most is the change in how we access information. When everything can be looked up on Google in seconds, do we still have the patience to read a book hundreds of pages long just to understand a single topic? I used to fall into this trap myself. There were times when I didn't want to read a long book and just looked up a summary online. But then I realized that reading a summary can never replace the actual experience of reading a book in depth. It's like watching a movie through the trailer; you might know the main plot, but you can't feel the depth of the story.

Audiovisual media such as television, online newspapers, and e-books have clearly changed readers' reading habits. However, I've asked many people and learned that they still prefer holding a physical book to read. I feel the same way; although I don't do it as often as before, I still feel more relaxed when I hold a printed book than when reading on a phone or iPad.

I can touch each letter on the page, emphasizing and rereading a passage. I can fold the edge of a page to mark it, even use colored pens to underline and bold a section I need to remember or reread. I can imagine the real stories behind the dedications at the beginning of the books I buy at the used bookstore, imagining fathers who lovingly saved money to buy them for their children, readers who enjoyed the book and then gave it to a close friend, or aspiring writers who were both hesitant and eager to write a dedication to a writer of a previous generation…

There will always be a part of today's generation, and future generations, who will cherish the moments spent immersed in a book...

These pages have been turned, emotions have settled here, lives have unfolded alongside these pages… all of this moves me when I hold an old book in my hands. Then, when I open newly purchased books to be the first to read them, I think that one day my friends and my children will continue to turn these fragrant pages, they will cry and laugh just like I do now. That thought truly fills me with joy.

Books are still there, it's just that we need a little effort to rediscover them in our busy lives. I learned to reorganize my time, reading less but regularly. I choose books that resonate with me, not necessarily heavy ones, just enough to keep me engaged with the pages longer. I turn off phone notifications while reading, creating quiet spaces for myself.

I know that reading culture still exists, not in the superficial form of social media trends, but deep beneath the noisy surface. It still exists in people quietly reading books in a crowded cafe, in the soft rustling of pages on a bus, in the small corners of old libraries that are still frequented.

And I also believe that there will always be a part of today's generation, and future generations, who will cherish the moments spent with a book. There will always be fathers working far from home who send their children gifts, carefully and beautifully wrapped, containing a book. There will always be little girls and boys like me eagerly waiting to open that gift with a joyful exclamation, always as if it were the first time they had received a gift. As long as we don't let the habit of reading slip away, the reading culture will never disappear. It is only growing and changing, just like us and like life itself.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/van-hoa-doc-trong-thoi-dai-so-post286260.html