WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY

Books Are Dying—And So Is Our Imagination: A World Book Day Wake-Up Call

Once upon a time, the smell of old pages, the thrill of a twist ending, and the comfort of a worn-out spine were enough to keep us hooked. Fast forward to today—World Book and Copyright Day feels more like a nostalgic hashtag than a celebration. The truth? The reading culture, especially among young people, is slowly but surely flickering out.

We’re swiping more than we’re flipping. Scrolling instead of studying. Binge-watching instead of binge-reading. And while technology has given us access to more information than ever before, it’s also made distractions far more seductive than Dickens or Dostoevsky.

So what happened?

1. Fast Content, Short Attention

TikToks, reels, and 280-character tweets dominate attention spans. We now consume content the same way we consume fast food—quick, easy, and forgettable. Deep, immersive reading requires time and patience, two things Gen Z rarely has to spare.

2. Reading Is No Longer ‘Cool’

Let’s be honest—books aren’t trending on Instagram unless they’re aesthetic props. For many young people, being a reader isn’t a flex; it’s “boring.” We’ve glamorized hustle culture and screen time, while quiet reading hours are seen as relics of the past.

3. The Death of Bookstores and Libraries

With the closure of local bookstores and the digitization of libraries, reading has become less of a community activity and more of a solo mission. But without social reinforcement, it’s harder to cultivate a passion for books.

Why This Matters

Reading shapes critical thinking, empathy, creativity, and language skills. Without it, we risk raising a generation that knows how to skim but not how to think. A generation fluent in memes but not in meaning.

So What Can We Do?

• Make reading visible again: Share what you’re reading. Start book clubs. Create reading reels. Normalize intellectual curiosity.

• Champion diverse voices: Young readers need to see themselves in the stories they read. Representation matters.

• Bring books to life: Adapt them into conversations, art, drama, and even digital formats that retain depth without sacrificing engagement.

This World Book and Copyright Day, let’s do more than just quote our favorite author. Let’s revive a culture. Let’s raise readers. Because when books die, it’s not just pages we lose—it’s possibilities.