English author Francis Bacon once said that reading makes a full man. One cannot question the truth of this saying as the benefits of reading are innumerable. Books contain wisdom and give us sound advice; they take us to far off lands introducing us to their cultures, customs and traditions; they entertain us and relax our mind and spirit; and above all keep us informed. In the words of Elizabeth Hardwick, “The greatest gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, and it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination.”

Some people spend their lifetimes reading. Many people would tell that their reading habit is so strong that they cannot go to sleep unless they read for an hour or so. It is perhaps because while one is immersed in a book one’s mind is diverted from the day’s events and problems as well as it relaxes the mind.

Nowadays, it’s becoming too common to hear complaints especially from the older people that the habit of reading is decreasing and fewer people can be seen buying books as compared to the past. Parents of pre-teen and teenage children are often coaxing them to read and spend less time in front of the TV and computer whether this cajoling would help and produce real book lovers, is doubtful. Love for books and reading comes from within, though it can be developed by exposing the children to reading material at an early age.

It is not possible to pass a judgment whether the reading habit is really on the decline and to pinpoint the reasons for such a downward trend, if there is one.

What makes people think that the reading habit is decreasing among the general population is the fact that books are quite expensive and people’s purchasing power is decreasing due to the high cost of living. This is supported by the argument that a number of old book shops have closed down due to the dwindling business. It is true that many bookshops wrapped up business but some new have also emerged.

Rumana Hussain, author of Karachiwala, says, “Books are expensive to buy. Nevertheless, I doubt very much that habitual readers have now moved away from books, spending their time with new technologies. When I see new bookshops being opened and book launches being attended with fervour, I feel all is not lost for this group of book lovers, as yet.”

To blame the rising cost of books for decreasing reading habit doesn’t seem totally justified as it’s not only books that have become expensive, a lot of other things like clothes, food, etc., too has seen a sharp rise in their prices. A meal at a decent restaurant costs around Rs800-1,000 per head, however, people have not stopped dining out and these eateries are full to capacity most of the time. So when we can pay that much amount for a meal why not on a book.

Hussain is of the view, “Unless we have a small library unit in every mohalla, and done enough to promote reading, we cannot expect people at large to suddenly become good readers.”

The second-hand bookshops are to some extent providing some relief to those who want to read but can’t afford to buy expensive books. Besides regular shops and more or less permanent stalls at various locations, most weekly bazaars have second-hand book stalls that are visited by a large number of people on a regular basis. And now one can borrow books from online libraries at a nominal monthly fee which, to a certain extent, also answers the complaint of lack of community libraries. Plus those who have access to the internet can download books of their choice or read them online.

Besides the cost, another factor affecting reading habit is that today’s children have a lot of distractions like 24/7 satellite TV, computer/internet and other modern gadgets that keep them away from books and even if they want, leave them no time to do so. Fatima Sajid thinks, “There are too many distractions like numerous television channels, computer games and cell phones. If kids today are not hooked on to some reality show or TV programme, then they are gaming on the net. When they finish with that, they are either speaking on their mobile phones or sending messages. Even though these things are a part of our daily lives, the pleasure of reading a good book or article is still quite a unique pleasure.”

Hussain agrees, “Book reading habit in children and the youth from the affluent class may be on the decline due to other reasons — such as distractions like the internet.” However, she believes that if they are reading books on Kindle or the internet, then I guess we still have some hope.

Whether reading habit is declining or not also depends on what we mean by the habit of reading and the medium used for reading. Many youngsters, who would seldom be seen picking up a book, read a lot. The hours they spend in front of the computer are not wasted in playing games or chatting; they wisely use it for reading. And while on the net they not only read books but they have access to a lot of articles, documents and news reports that satiate their thirst for reading and knowledge.

In this modern world, which we call the technological era, reading should not be taken merely as picking up a book and reading it, but one can read a lot without having picked up a book in months. Perhaps it is where our young generation is drawing their knowledge from.

Still if it is felt that the habit of reading is decreasing, Sajid believes, “Family book or article reading sessions like 10 or 15 minutes when everyone is together either at tea time or anytime on weekends would once again rekindle the love of reading.”