By definition, reading refers to the complex cognitive process of looking at written material and interpreting or comprehending it to extract meaning. It is more than just a pastime. It has shaped entire cultures, revolutions, and personal identities for generations.
The history of reading dates back to ancient Mesopotamia around 3200 BC. During that period, systems like cuneiform were used for record-keeping and communication outside of ongoing oral traditions. This writing mainly consisted of religious texts, hymns, myths, and historical records. During the Middle Ages, reading was still largely restricted to the upper classes and religious institutions. By the Late Middle Ages, texts began to be written in local languages other than Latin. The rise of vernacular literature—such as Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales— allowed more people to read stories and ideas in their native tongues. This marked a significant shift in the readership of written texts.
The most transformative moment came with the invention of the Printing Press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century. Books could now be produced widely, and this made reading accessible to a much wider audience. It sparked a reading revolution, where people of all classes could access texts. Books became a means of spreading revolutionary ideas about freedom, equality, and human rights.
In the 19th century, novels emerged as a dominant form of literature, with authors like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Leo Tolstoy becoming household names. It became a tool for exploring human emotions, social issues and moral dilemmas and continues to have a great influence even today.
The 20th century introduced a number of different genres such as science fiction, crime, and fantasy. Today, reading has taken on new forms with the advent of digital technology. E-books and audiobooks have transformed the way we consume literature. This digital revolution has expanded reading to global audiences, allowing authors to self-publish and reach new readers online.
Reading has a vast range of benefits, such as strengthening our brains, sharpening our memory and building vocabulary. But certain modern critics may say that reading is an age-old activity and that it may not have many benefits in the modern day and age. There can be many parts to this argument. Firstly, with the rise of multimedia technology, AI advancements and the rise of many different technologies to replace reading, this argument may also seem to have a strong foundation.
Critics argue that information is now highly accessible through different forms of media such as documentaries, podcasts and even from videos on platforms like YouTube. These forms of media make information much easier to absorb and spread in a more accessible manner.
Another argument in this context is the rise of AI in information generation or creating any sort of written material. With technologies such as speech-to-text and in-built voice assistants in modern smartphones, there is no need to even physically use our phones and write the text or actually read that lengthy document. The AI can just summarise it for you and even, in many cases, write emails or messages for you.
Also, with the rise of audiobooks and the like, there is an increased dependence on these sorts of technologies. You can just get the information provided in a book or consume literature by just listening to it instead of reading the material yourselves. This also goes with the fast-paced nature of modern life, where we are doing several different tasks at the same time.
There has been a trend of preferring digital libraries over traditional libraries. There has been a shift from printed material to digital formats. Books are being borrowed digitally, and the use of devices such as the Kindle or Kobo is becoming increasingly common. While it may seem more efficient and accessible, traditional libraries are still more useful and grounded.
While searching through a traditional library for a perfect read, one may find a book that they may never have “picked up” digitally if it were not for physically searching among the books. Also, the practice of actually searching for a book and meeting new people in the process leads to new relationships and connections. Physical books help a reader focus better because there are fewer distractions than on digital devices.
With respect to the argument of Audiobooks versus Traditional Reading, I believe that traditional reading is more beneficial and has a greater impact on the person’s mind. This impact cannot be achieved by just listening to the book through an app. Most of the time, when we are listening to these audiobooks, we are almost always doing some work in the background alongside them. We are not able to fully focus on the words or the message of the book. It just runs in the background like a podcast or YouTube video.
Books also have a physical calmness to them that cannot be achieved with a digital version of the text. The feeling of opening a new book and smelling its pages has long-drawn the readers of the book. Many readers prefer the smell of a book, the look of a personal library and can use this reading time as a dedicated screen-free period in their day. For a reader, nothing compares to opening their favourite book and settling into a comfy chair to read it.
With the increased use of social media & messaging apps among children & teenagers, we often see a decreased attention span among them. School-going children are not able to focus for a long time and often use AI in doing their assignments and classwork. While AI may have its noteworthy pros, it also has its dangerous cons. In a matter of time, we may see that children are not able to think for themselves and how the use of AI has impacted their ability to have independent judgment.
Reading increases our thinking and communication ability. In modern times, one may feel like we are more connected than we have ever been, but studies have found that there are more people that feel isolated and alone than ever. Social media has replaced the face-to-face interaction of earlier times, and the use of these platforms does not always bring deep, fulfilled relationships. In contrast to this, reading a piece of literature takes us to a whole new world where we are introduced to different characters and experiences. This also leads to increased empathy in people, where one is able to relate to and sympathise with people in the real world, which in turn strengthens human connections.
While in this day and age, we may have information generated in seconds, there is a different beauty in slowing down and reading just for the pleasure of it, not to submit an assignment, not to complete a deadline or compete against anyone but just for yourself. Reading also leads to increased vocabulary, which makes a person more fluent or articulate. They are able to express their emotions freely and tell their loved ones how much they love & respect them. This skill not only helps a person in his individual or personal life but also in professional settings. One is able to express his ideas more freely and accurately in front of his head or peers and resist authority if they may feel that things are not going fair with them.
Also, in modern times, when there seems to be no silence or calm or something or other is always playing in the background, reading acts as a grounding exercise which slows us and forces us to be present in the moment. Studies have shown that people are not able to sit in silence or even themselves with their own thoughts. There is an increased resentment against ourselves, but reading goes totally against this philosophy. It forces us to sit down with our own thoughts and be present, and interact with our brains.
The production and attainment of information may have become fast and easily accessible, but there’s also a certain beauty and fulfilment in doing the hard work and struggling to achieve a certain piece of information. We feel more content and satisfied when certain information is the result of our own hard work rather than giving a prompt to an AI system. Reading allows us to develop our comprehension skills, cognitive development and analytical reasoning. We are able to recognise patterns, interpret a written piece and form ideas as a result of it.
Thus, while reading may seem to be slow and an age-old activity, it is equally, if not more important than the other skills that we develop in our lives. It is an essential practice that should be taught to children and introduced in their lives early on. The solution is not in eradicating AI and the Internet, but rather to find a balance between the two. There should be a judicious use of the internet while also keeping in mind its dangerous effects. The declining rate of reading should be considered alarming and taken care of. Maintaining this skill will turn out to be beneficial not only for the individuals but for generations to come.
(The author is a postgraduate student)
