Just like sword fights and fear of witchcraft, reading is becoming a thing of the past as well. In fact, it appears as if these things only happen in books now, which many people choose not to pick up, let alone read. The main competitor of books seems to be the internet, a seemingly all encompassing force, the ruler of the modern age, which cannot be defeated by mere weather beaten books. The internet offers attractions which do not require large amounts of brainpower to access and enjoy whereas, reading is now seen as a chore since it appears to require more effort as compared to watching a Netflix show riddled with ads.
In today’s fast paced world, people cannot devote an entire afternoon to finishing a novel. Even those who actively enjoy reading span a single novel over a couple of days, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. There is no rigid rule or guideline which states that a single book needs to be finished in one sitting. One can enjoy the story over the span of a few days. However, with the advent of technology, people can enjoy the same story in two hours, with the characters on screen so the watchers do not need to use much brain power into imagining fantasy worlds anymore, unlike the readers. However, a movie lacks the substance, magic, and depth of the novel which was so artfully penned by the author.
Getty Images/DigitalVision/ Luis Alvarez
On a brighter note, the advent of technology has also made reading easier with online reading and developed devices specifically for reading, such as a Kindle. Online reading is easily portable and accessible anytime so no one needs to carry around a heavy book on themselves anymore; however, this has also led to books being used as mere accessories for aesthetic purposes instead of actually indulging in the knowledge and comfort books can provide us.
