Time to Revive Storytelling Habits in Gen Z

“Hey! Did you check that snap I shared with you on Snapchat or the reel I shared on Instagram?”

. “Did you check out the latest trend that every influencer is doing, let us do the same and upload”, “Come let us try this new Snapchat filter on ourselves and upload with a hashtag!”.

Well, you must be wondering what all this is, the heading speaks about reading habits but it is all about Snapchat and Instagram.

So, dear readers don’t you second me on this, these statements are much more heard than “Hey did you read Shakespeare or Rohiton Mistry?”.

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It is observed and experienced that the reading tradition is declining slowly and gradually and the major reason put forward is are use of smartphones and various social media platforms that have taken the front seat.

This present age or age of technology has put traditional activities like reading and observing in the backseat while giving the front seat to the world of images and trends. The introduction of technology in the contemporary era has affected all aspects of life greatly and majorly.

All these factors had an immediate impact on the lovely culture of reading, which in the classical era was the interest of every other person be it a child or an old person. The young lads and girls would come to Nani and Dadi to listen to different stories and spend hours imagining them.

The art of creating a story is directly proportional to reading habits. If a child at an early age comes across a scenario where he/she encounters a reading activity and storytelling activity being performed, the child automatically finds it easier to adapt and mirror the same culture.

Honestly, reading is not just an activity that you have to perform deliberately but a soothing balm on a tired mind and to destress yourself from other hectic schedules. If you are ever free and staring at your phone purposelessly make it a point to open a book that holds the real power to transform your ordinary world into a more magical one.

Time to Revive Storytelling Habits in Gen Z

The things that I have gained from reading are a clear perspective, an understanding of complex aspects, and a deeper understanding of complex personas. The biggest flex that one can learn from it is communicating complex ideas more simply and clearly. It is observed that culture has transformed itself and true book lovers are found in the minority these days. Reading is an intellectual activity that few people today like to perform.

The reading habits of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries are not the same as those of the present or twenty-first century because students today are expected to master material while also creating, synthesising, and assessing knowledge from a range of subjects and sources with respect for and understanding of other cultures.

In the twenty-first century, reading offers numerous blueprints for ensuring that educational requirements are met and our future is protected. The more we read, the more issues and answers to the widespread issues that affect our society are introduced to us.

In today’s era, schools can play a vital role in building this habit at early age among children. A passion for reading is ingrained gradually but steadily. It takes more than a fleeting effort to establish a reading culture in schools.

storyteller — The Boyhood of Raleigh by Sir John Everett Millais, oil on canvas, 1870. A seafarer tells the young Sir Walter Raleigh and his brother the story of what happened out at sea

There are schools where the atmosphere incorporates reading habits. For pupils who would prefer to spend playtime curled up on bean bags with a book, quiet areas are available. Programs for exchanging books guarantee that students have access to used books that their peers have owned and read.

Students might benefit greatly from “reading days” that feature competitive activities and honor accomplishment, much like “sports days.”

Schools can take advantage of students’ interest in interactive digital activities and incorporate screen time by including reading into their curriculum when the summer break approaches.

Digital reading programmes give readers access to games for competitive engagement, images to spark imagination, pronunciation assistance, and comprehension questions to encourage critical and creative thinking. Digital reading can be a very useful tool for tracking each child’s growth and the amount of time they spend reading.

Programs for digital reading make benchmarking and assessment simpler, ensuring that no child is left behind. Numerous reading programs track participants’ progress through the issuance of completion certificates or incentive badges, which encourages participants to keep up their efforts.

Students learn to read and comprehend more quickly than ever before thanks to digital assistance.

Keep reading wonderful stuff. Keep spreading inspiring tales. Keep a book by your side and worries at bay! Happy Reading!

Images from different sources

Agrita Chhibber is a research Fellow and from Jammu

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