Reading 2: The hours spent prowling the Internet are the enemy of reading –

diminishing literacy, wrecking attention spans and destroying a precious

common culture that exists only through reading of books.

The fact that the advent of internet has triggered such a furious hooha about declining cognitive

ability and reading experience shows that many still regard books as the quintessence of

intellectual and emotional value that cannot be simply replaced by the internet. However, times

have shifted, and our definition of reading has likewise undergone an unprecedented

transformation.

Technology has geared society towards a fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyle, so daily time

constraints push us in the direction of prompt and easily digestible information. Whether it is

due to the television, or internet, or the manifold distractions in modern society, our attention

spans have progressively been whittled away, making it more taxing than ever before to

approach conventional linear text. As such, immediate and accessible doses of information on

the web better cater to today’s masses of busy multi-taskers.

But that is not to say that books are not relevant to us anymore. Books and internet inhabit

different domains that are both essential in building knowledge and critical expertise. While the

internet hones our ability to filter and distil, books foster our capacity for introspection and

reflection in solitude. It is reassuring then that books are going digital, enabling people who

would normally not come into contact with a book more convenient access to the world of

printed literature.

Another merit of reading on the internet is the multi-dimensionality of our experience. Compared

to traditional books, which focus on a singular vision of the author, the scale and diversity of

opinions we see on the web is far greater. Now, everyone – not just published writers – has a

chance to air his two cents’ worth and be heard, so the input of voices from all walks of life

results in a lively, multi-layered debate. This is closely tied to the shift in our perception of

reading – modern readers are no longer satisfied with just a one-way, top-down monologue, but

demand a dynamic conversation where everyone is free to participate.

Of course, there is also a higher probability of encountering superficial and bigoted claims in

such a non-barrier environment, but regulatory efforts have also mushroomed, such as the

diverse crop of voluntary editors (e.g. on Wikipedia) and watchdog initiatives that work to fight

untruths and keep data manipulation in check. Also, let’s not forget that internet’s role in

providing us alternative sources to judge the objectivity of printed text around us. Not all books

are free from agenda and newspapers politically neutral. Through the web, we can verify news

reports in our national newspapers by checking the newspapers from other countries. As we

become active readers rather than passive consumers of information, we have to decide for

ourselves what is trustworthy or worthwhile and what is not.

In conclusion, the internet has nestled into place as an indispensable part of our contemporary

lifestyles, so it has become pointless to plainly censure the changes to reading dynamics it

brings. Instead, we should learn how to wield this tool well, and as long as we become its

masters, the possibilities that it has to offer us, as a medium of learning, are limitless.