Can you remember the last time you read an entire book?

When was the last time you read a complete book? This question may worry you a little, but we are actually losing the reading habit and shifting to video content. For many people, the trend of reading books may date back months, years, or even decades.

Bill Gates, multiple owner of Microsoft, emphasized how important reading a book can be and how it can change your life forever.

Gates reads 50 books every year and carries a bag full of books with him during the holidays. Gates also mentioned that whenever he starts a book, he always finishes it. “I refuse to stop reading a book halfway through, even if I don’t like it,” Gates told The Times in 2017. He also stated that his voracious reading habits were crucial to his success.

As technology advances, the traditional methods of accessing information are changing. With increasing dependence on gadgets, human participation in various aspects of life is decreasing.

We are surrounded by gadgets like cell phones, tablets and laptops more than ever. These devices constantly impair our ability to read and increase our dependence on them to consume information, especially through visual and auditory means.

The trend has changed quickly and sending voice notes is preferred over chat apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.

GROWING TREND FOR BINGE WATCHING

The dominance of visual media is widely recognized. YouTube’s growth is helping other applications take over the storage space. Binge-watching is quickly gaining popularity on other Reel-supporting websites. This is generally accepted today.

According to Amazon Fire TV’s latest annual streaming trends report, Indians spend an average of over four hours watching content on their Fire TV devices. This data highlights a clear trend in viewing habits and shows that a significant portion of viewers are enjoying streaming entertainment for extended periods of time.

In recent years, digital streaming platforms have been flooded with a variety of binge-watching, signaling a profound shift in television and film consumption.

Services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and ZEE 5 have revolutionized the way audiences interact with content, offering unprecedented access to an extensive selection of series and films that fuel marathon viewing.

According to statistics, the number of smartphone users is 1 billion, 90 percent of them prefer to watch videos online. Additionally, people are spending more time watching videos, movies, TV shows, and audio books.

Marketing firm In-Mobi’s latest Mobile Marketing Handbook-2024 report suggests that an average Indian spends more than 4 hours, which is one hour more than the international average.

The increasing impact of extra screen time is directly related to our minds, which in turn leads to the development of several diseases. This also affects mental performance and creativity and reduces attention span.

AGE OF DIGITALIZATION

Smartphones and streaming sites have also influenced our deep understanding of things and the way we deeply understand different things. Microsoft Corporation conducted a study on our attention span and found that we cannot hold our attention for longer than 8 seconds, which also highlights the influence of a digital lifestyle.

We beat up the goldfish that study says has the shortest attention span.

The Californian university professor Dr. Gloria Mark explains that short video culture has contributed to the greatest reduction in attention spans. Longer viewing of videos and prolonged visualization on the screen also have a negative effect.

Now people have moved on to listening and visualizing, which for a long time took the place of reading. This change is determined by social, technical and psychological reasons.

Reuters has published a report that 71 percent of Indians watch news online while only 29 percent prefer reading newspapers.

With the rise of podcast culture, a change in reading behavior can be observed; Special platforms serve to strengthen the podcast culture. It is often seen how people connect podcast culture with the heritage of radio.

Along with podcasts, audio books are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional reading. Listening to audiobooks relies more on auditory processing than visualizing text, which may not stimulate deep thought or stimulate the mind as intensely as reading.

According to the Statista report, the number of podcast users worldwide has increased by 95 percent in the last five years, so the number of users will rise to 50 million in 2024.

According to a survey by Audible, an Amazon company, users’ listening hours have increased by 39 percent since 2021. People now prefer audiobooks and podcasts over reading printed content. A big reason for this is that audiobooks and podcasts can be listened to anywhere without having to carry physical books or copies.

COVID-19 has boosted the e-book and audiobook culture in India.

READING stimulates the imagination

Neuroscience suggests that reading influences our minds and rewires its functions for better thinking. It’s more of a mental training. Reading also helps us understand the perspective of others, which may differ from ours, thus increasing our emotional quotient.

Neuroscience experts suggest that reading content that challenges your perspective on life and the world around you can improve your ability to concentrate and adapt to complex situations. Reading activities strengthen your ability to imagine alternative paths and remember details, scenes, and thought processes in difficult situations.

The benefits of reading are not only limited to cognitive skills but also promote youthfulness of mind. Reading can prevent memory loss, reduce the risk of stress, and prevent various types of dementia in older adults.

One should not forget that reading also has many benefits. Reading refines people’s imagination, which increases creativity and promotes thinking. That’s why reading should also be encouraged so that we don’t remain slaves to machines in the future.

Reading also allows us to think more creatively and increase the artistic performance of the human mind, as suggested by various reports.

Take an example of a fantasy novel. As you read it, you may imagine magical realms with dragons and wizards. Fantasy could light up the darkest parts of your brain and fully engage you.

CHANGE IN EDUCATIONAL PATTERN

According to a report by Statistics, the number of smartphone users in India has crossed 100 million, with 90 percent of them watching videos. In this technological world, the methods of educational studies are also changing. Video lectures and digital media have now replaced books and articles.

While visual and audio materials make understanding and learning easier, they also have an impact on students’ learning habits.

According to Unacademy, India’s leading online learning company, they have more than five million active learners studying with them. At the same time, the number of people learning on streaming platforms like YouTube is much higher.

More and more video platforms are seeing increased user engagement as students prefer watching instructional videos rather than studying traditional books.

However, if this trend continues, our reading and writing habits will gradually be limited to educational work and other professions that have to do with reading and writing.

Scientists and researchers are concerned about the declining trend of reading, raising the question of whether we will break the habit of reading in the near future.