Can any of my friends tell me which and when was the last book you read? I am not talking about the books in your school/college/university curriculum, but the ones you read for pure pleasure.
I am sure most of you will be groping for a suitable reply. If I want to find out the last movie/video game/TV program you spent your time on, or how long you surfed on the internet or were on the social media each day, you all will have a considerable list of options.
Life has taken huge strides ahead with the fast developing technology. When I look back at the first forty years of my life, I feel that the changes in lifestyles and activities were slow paced. Those changes adhered to the passage of years, because it is normal for life to evolve with time.
You all will have a considerable list of options to disclose.
Life has taken huge strides ahead with the fast developing technology. When I look back at the first forty years of my life, I feel that the changes in lifestyles and activities were slow-paced. Those changes adhered to the passage of years, because it is normal for life to evolve with time.
And then came the era of the internet!
The last two to three decades have changed the world, its people, their way of thinking and their pastimes, drastically. Reading, which was considered a leisure and recreational activity in my childhood days, is considered a chore by the youngsters of today. Personally, I have not given up on reading, and I am always on the lookout for something good to read. Sadly, for the majority of people today, reading is a lost love. Easy access to the internet has lured most of us, especially children, to stowed away books in lieu of tabs, cell phones and net surfing.
A few days back, I suggested to my son to read more books, stressing on how reading would brush up his languages and general knowledge. His reply was what I am sure most of you must be thinking after reading these lines.
“What?” he said in a surprised tone, “How can you expect me to read after all the long hours I have to study for school?”
Although you all do not read much, I am sure you must be aware of the multiple advantages of reading. Just to refresh your minds, I would like to remind you that reading not only entertains you, it adds to your knowledge, sharpens your writing skills, improves your grammar and offers new avenues to your imagination.
Reading cultivates empathy and understanding of people’s feelings. As you go through a good book of fiction, you begin to relate with the characters. Their joys make you happy and their sufferings make you sad. As you read about the causes of successes or failures of different people, you learn more about life. This will help you when you step out into practical life and face different problems, which are a part and parcel of existence.
American essayist and critic Edwin W. Whipple has summed up the benefits of reading so beautifully, “Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time.”
Today, I will not write much about the advantages of reading, but rather guide you how to get into the habit of reading and enjoying it too, instead of considering it an unpleasant task. Here are some simple tips which will help you become an ardent reader.
Make reading a daily habit
New habits are hard to form, but then it is said that ‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’ Remind yourself daily about the numerous advantages of reading good books and how much you can learn from them. Sort out your routine and decide which part of your free time you can spare to read. Make a poster saying ‘I must read’ and put it up in a place where you can see it many times every day.
Do a bit of research
There are numerous books which you will find hard to keep down once you start reading them. The trick is to make the correct choice according to your interest.
Discuss with your parents, teachers and siblings which books are suitable for your age. You may find it hard to concentrate at the beginning, but remind yourself that you are cultivating a new habit and have to stick to it.
