By Kevin Kaumans, Entertainment Editor
Has anyone else noticed how the things we used to enjoy as kids seem to be dying out? Just look outside and tell me how many kids you see walking around with a CD, media player or book?
Speaking of which, can anyone tell me how many children they know that read nowadays?
I swear, every time I scroll through the web, I come across a picture or video of someone who looks barely old enough to be walking, flipping through three different laptops at once.
I’m sure this does not come as much of a surprise to many people my age.
Afterall, we know better than anyone else just how hopeless this world we live in has become thanks to our dear friend: the internet.
Everything is different from when we were children, and most of it is not in a good way.
“Alright Kevin, if you’re so much of an intellectual, then tell us: Why is it that kids don’t read as much as they used to back in your day?” I hear you ask. To that, I would first ask you to rephrase the question in a way to make it sound like I’m not 80 years old, then explain my points of view to you.
The first and most major reason why I feel like children don’t read books anymore is due to the decreasing attention span that has been caused by social media.
For example, when you scroll on “TikTok,” how long do you wait before flicking your thumb to the next video? Five seconds? Three? One? That’s because the dopamine in our brains has been so ruined by social media that if our attention isn’t instantly grabbed, we just swipe to the next thing.
Now imagine trying to sit down and reading a three-hundred-paged book. Not easy, is it?
The second problem is the fact that a lot of parents today simply don’t want the responsibility that comes with being a parental figure.
I mean, why would anyone want to take the time out of their day to watch their newborn when they can just shove a smartphone or iPad in their face and expect the internet to do all the raising for you?
Why bother teaching your son how to read when you can just turn on “Cocomelon” and go to the bar or your weekly book club while your child’s legs fall asleep from countless hours glued to their seat?
The third and final cause that can be attributed to the adults of the future not reading is the fact that if they want to know the story of a book assigned to them by a parent or teacher, they can just go to ChatGPT and ask for a detailed summary of the entire novel.
Students no longer have to spend hours and days reading the entire source when they can have the entire story explained to them within seconds.
Never mind that these summaries are shallow and don’t go all that deep into the complex themes and ideas, I know the entire timeline of events; why should I read?
Look, I’m not going to stand here and say I have never been trapped by the never-ending cycle of internet addiction.
The Education System has made it to where it no longer matters how hard you try. You either blow through your degree thanks to cheating, or you try your best and still end up failing.
So, what I guess I’m trying to say is: Do whatever you feel is right to get to where you want. It won’t matter in the end anyway.