Why don't children read books today?

Nepal
May 8, 2008 8:56pm CST
I remember the times when books used to be the only companions of the school and college going children.How delighted I would be when someone brought a novel of Dickens,Hardy,Lawrence,or Jane Austen from the city and gifted it to me.Next two or three months used to be devoted to the study of the book which would be preserved as a treasure. When I look back,I have read more than 10,000 books upto this day.It looks silly when I see teachers,scholars,students,surfing the internet to look for references,summaries and review of the books which are on my tongue tip. In future,I feel,this lack of reading habit will make the children,elders and even teachers the slaves of the data banks. How precious those teachers will be in case internet fails for a few months and there is no help on air? Rajasir.
1 person likes this
15 responses
@aiyreen (286)
• Philippines
9 May 08
i agree with you. i remembered arguing with my ex-husband bout raising our kids reading books. he insisted that everything is on the internet so why bother. i love books. i still make it a point to read book everyday. i want my children to experience the tranquility reading books give... i read books under the trees in our garden, on the hammock... really wonderful.
• Nepal
9 May 08
Dear aiyreen, It's nice to hear that there are still people who prize books and keep them close to their hearts.I tell my students: "When I fly with the lines of William Wordsworth,high in the sky, your monumental earthly achievements seem to be pigmies to me". If a mother like you is there to take care of the thing , I am sure that the divine gift of reading books can never escape from your kids.Innumerable luring item from the Pandora's box of internet have been opened for the kids,but I am sure one day they will all come back to books and reading,rather than depending on the data provided by the internet,and thus making them plagiarists. Bless you, Rajasir
@amnher (290)
• Philippines
9 May 08
CAuse kids likes to play online games in computers or rather play outside rather than sitting and reading till you fall asleep
@killer_s (121)
• Indonesia
9 May 08
i agree with you. now, there are many online games and children like to play it rather than reading books
• United States
10 May 08
Technology is the "in" thing now-a-days. Children would rather be on the computer or infront of a game or TV. I will say that not all kids are this way. My oldest daughter loves to read and it's hard to find her without a book. She likes the computer as well, don't get me wrong, but you will find her with a book more than you see her infront of the TV.
@ayou82 (3450)
• Philippines
10 May 08
Coz of so many informational programs on tv provided by the media and theres internet that is very informative and graphics full on which kids nowadays love to see.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
10 May 08
The emphasis today is on television, movies, and video games. Children become addicted to these electronic babysitters, and only read books when teachers insist. It is up to teachers, parents, grandparents and other adults involved in children's lives to encourage them to read. Begin by reading to them, and send an example for them by letting them see you read.
10 May 08
Because GAMES are on season all year round. I never read books when I was a kid though. I started when I was in high school. But I still don't read books so often.
@daphne009 (301)
• United States
9 May 08
Technology is too advanced. Everything else is more intriguing to them (video games, tv). I have a 6 year old son and it's all I can do to get him to go outside and play on a nice day!
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
9 May 08
Hi Rajasir, Times have changed, but I think many children still read books. Of course reference books will be pretty much a thing of the past, but lets face it, nothing can replace the classics. Book stores are still doing a good business, so there is still hope. Blessings.
• United States
9 May 08
I have loved reading since I was a small child. My Mother taught me to read long before I went to school. She is amazing - she can still recite poems she learned as a child. She is 79 now and she still remembers them. She taught me to love books. When I was growing up, I read daily. I still try to read something every day. I have a small book collection (about 300) and they are all my treasures. I don't buy new books, usually; I buy used ones and try to preserve them. I taught my daughter to read and to love reading. Together we have a nice collection of classics and children's classics. I just can't imagine not loving reading. I thought my grandchildren didn't like reading until I saw what they were reading. I started buying them classics for Christmas and birthday presents and they love them. A lot of the books for children now are just plain silly and vapid. It's like they think children are not capable of deep thought, but they are. They just have to be given the opportunity.
• Canada
9 May 08
Personally i love to read books and especially by some of those authors you mentioned. However whenever i talk about any of those book or other resembling them i cant find anyone else who has read any of them. I think kids get what they should be getting from books from movies. I really hope reading makes a comeback because it would be a sad day if movies replaced reading.
• United States
9 May 08
I have a nine year old son and he loves books. I started reading to him at the age of 6 months and started taking him to the library as a pre schooler. I think that parents have to encourage their child to develop a love of books. I get upset if I don't have a book to read. This week I have read 4 books~ I love reading!
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
9 May 08
Because there is so much other entertainment that interests them, so they would rather do this.
@Alixander (178)
• Romania
9 May 08
I agree with you too, The man point of why they don't read Is the internet and the television, They don't like too read If they can watch it in the tv, They don't recognize that its more beautiofuller if you read a book than watching in the tv the same book, Anyway, Its sad to know that the next generation doesn't really likes to read, Even from our generation there are many people who don't like to read, Well I do like to read and I will read all my life, Greet.
@bork5111 (24)
• United States
9 May 08
I have a 2 year old and he loves books. I hope we can keep his interest in books and reading. We read in the mornings when he wakes up and read to him at night before he goes to bed. Which is nice since it helps him to calm down from playing all day.
@tthom64 (535)
• United States
9 May 08
There is much too much to entertain kids these days besides books, so much vying for their attention, that I don't think they prize the experience as much as we might have in the past. However, me and my kids have loved reading the Harry Potter series, the Artemis Fowl series and others. I have always loved reading, and eventhough my kids don't do it as much as I did, I still find my daughter buying the occassional book on her own and my younger boys looking forward to the next book in the series. I love the fact now that I can read a really good book and then go on-line and find someone else to chat about it. That's something I just couldn't do when I was growing up.