Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore, Chennai, has always been a popular hangout for locals. Morning walkers head there at break of dawn as do yoga enthusiasts and people in search of peace and quiet. But, every other Sunday, a small group of people gather in the evening, armed with books. Even as the world walks by, they remain immersed in the world of letters, pausing only to share refreshments and chat about their favourite books and authors.
“A few of us got together and started Mylapore Reads in August 2023 after we read an article in the paper about the silent reading movement where, around the world, people gather in public spaces to read,” says Balaji Venkatramanan, a Mylapore resident. “We gather between 4pm and 5pm with a bagful of books. Anyone can pick up a book and read, or bring their own book. You can read a newspaper or on your Kindle, there are no rules. We just want to encourage people, especially youngsters, to read,” he adds.
The turnout for these events varies. “At the first event, the community cats outnumbered us. Now, we have a few regulars. On a good day, we may get 25 to 30 people. Sometimes people stop by, read for a while and then move on,” says Venkatramanan.
Reading habit in youth on the decline
Similar sessions and other initiatives have been launched across India as fewer people are now reading. The 2024 Annual Literacy Survey by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) organisation reveals a steady decline in the number of children and young people who enjoy reading and engaging in daily reading during their free time, says an article in NDTV.com.
Just one in three (34.6%) children and young people aged eight to 18 said that they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2024. Reading enjoyment levels have decreased by 8.8 percentage points over the past year alone.
Only one in five (20.5%) eight to 18-year-olds said that they read something daily in their free time in 2024, which is, once again, the lowest levels recorded since 2005, with daily reading levels decreasing by 7.5pp in the last year alone.
“It seems to be a global trend that children are reading lesser, which makes it incumbent on parents, educators, and librarians to find ways to encourage students to read, by identifying points of interest from the child’s life and find reading that’s linked to it,” says Karthika Gopalakrishnan, head of reading, Neev Academy, Bengaluru, and director, Neev Literature Festival.
Digital distractions, technology kill reading habit in youth
More young people now have access to smartphones and social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, which offer instant gratification. This results in shortened attention span, which in turn has an adverse impact on activities such as reading, which require concentration and time.
Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube also offer easy access to entertainment. Video gaming is another digital addiction, which keeps youngsters glued to screens.
According to a report in Business Standard, 66% of parents believe their children are addicted to social media. A survey of parents of children aged between nine and 17 years in urban areas revealed that 47% parents said that their wards spend an average of three hours or more every day on social media, videos, over-the-top apps, and online games, says the online survey firm LocalCircles.
Around 10% of the parents shared that their children spend more than six hours on social media, online games and videos. The survey received over 70,000 responses from parents located in over 368 urban districts of the country.
Pressure of academics, lack of reading culture adds to the problem
In India, where emphasis is placed on academics, reading is seen as an educational activity, which reduces children’s interest in leisure reading. Students are expected to devote most of their time to textbooks, study guides, and coaching material, which leaves little room for non-academic reading or to explore books beyond the syllabus. In many households, there are few role models who actively read for pleasure. If parents, elders, or peers don’t model reading habits, young people are less likely to develop a passion for reading themselves.
“Parents want to fiddle with their gadgets while children read. But children tend to pick up what you do. So, if you pick up a phone, they are likely to do the same. If you pick up a book, they are also more likely to engage in reading,” says Venkatramanan.
Why is reading important?
Reading habit in children stimulates their brain, keeping it sharp and engaged. Reading regularly can help improve brain function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline as you age. It strengthens neural connections, enhances memory, and improves problem-solving skills.
It also builds your vocabulary, improves your grammar and fluency in any language. Since reading requires active engagement, as it requires you to analyse characters, and follow plot twists, it improves your ability to think critically, evaluate different perspectives, and make informed decisions. Reading encourages a deeper understanding of complex ideas and improves your knowledge of different subjects, introducing you to new ideas, concepts and cultures. It can also reduce stress levels as it’s a relaxing activity.
Initiatives to promote reading culture
There are government as well as private initiatives to inculcate the reading habit in people. Recently, the northern region of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), set up “Reading Zones” in two parks in Royapuram zone to promote reading habits among the public and to provide children access to books.
The reading zones are being launched in 10 GCC parks in north Chennai on a pilot basis. According to a report in The Hindu, GCC’s Regional Deputy Commissioner (North) Katta Ravi Teja said that the initiative aims to provide access to books in areas that predominantly have slum pockets and to inculcate reading habits among the public.
The reading zones, open from 8am to 12 noon and from 4pm to 8pm, will have a variety of books ranging from short stories, biographies and novels and the public will have free access to these books. place it back in the box after reading.
Citizens’ initiatives, and efforts by educational institutions
Many neighbourhoods across India have started Little Free Libraries or Free Book Sharing Boxes. This concept, which aims to foster a love for reading by providing easy access to books, has people placing books in a weatherproof box or nook. Those who are interested can pick up a book, but are expected to replace it with another one so that someone else can enjoy it.
Educational institutions have also come up with their own initiatives to promote reading among the young. Karthika says the The Neev Literature Festival began in 2017 and the Neev Book Award in 2018 to find and showcase great children’s books from and about Indian lives; books that are mirrors, windows and doors to the Indian identity. “The Neev Literature Festival targets readers in the age group of three to 18 years and is an opportunity for readers to meet some of their favourite authors, as well as for librarians, educators, and parents to be a part of conversations from the world of children’s literature and understand the trends in the space,” she says.
There are popular works that readers gravitate towards such as books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or books by Sudha Murty or books by Rick Riordan and the Percy Jackson series, says Karthika. “There is a growing interest in non-fiction for younger readers that publishers in India have picked up producing books such as the Dreamers series of biographies of eminent Indians for readers in the Gr 2-4 age group published by Duckbill, an imprint of PRH,” she says, adding that older children like mysteries and murder mysteries. “Shabnam Minwalla is a popular author in the young adults’ segment, as is Andaleeb Wajid who’s known for her romance books in this age group.”
NGOs pitch in to inculcate reading habit in children
Various NGOs have come up with initiatives to promote reading habit in children. Smile Foundation’s flagship programme, Mission Education, works to empower children by providing education, nutrition and wellness support. We also promote reading among children and stock libraries with storybooks, puzzles, and educational games to encourage children to read and develop their imagination. It also involves local communities in the success of its centres.
The way forward
Reading programmes are adopting different approaches to attract people. Venkatramanan says they have begun conducting storytelling sessions also. “One of the people who came for the reading runs a library that has an impressive collection of picture books. She brings her library books and decides to tell the stories to the kids who gather so that they get drawn to reading,” he says, adding that they also serve juice and biscuits. “People come, read, chat among themselves and form bonds over a common love of reading. They have also begun donating books,” he says.
According to Karthika, schools, parents and others can do more to promote reading. “For instance, have regular conversations, meet-ups with other readers, and introducing new books from global ‘Best Of lists’ such as those released by BookTrust or the New York Public Library, as well as children’s book awards lists such as the Neev Book Award or the Parag Honor List will help,” she says.