Ekushey Book Fair and our ‘Screen Generation’

Book fair at the premise of Bangla Academy is not merely a fair for displaying books for sale. Over the years it has been upholding the spirit of Bengali nationalism. This fair is ingrained with Bengali sentiment and emotion echoing a history of great sacrifice of our brave sons in the language movement. It reflects a humble effort of the people of Bangladesh to honor the language martyrs who were shot dead on 21 February 1952.

Apart from highlighting the significance of the language movement, it contributes much to awaken people to uphold Bengali language and literature in the global arena. It strengthens the relationship between readers and writers. The year-long wait of the publishers, writers and book lovers sees a fulfilment through welcoming Ekushey book fair in the month of February.

Bangla Academy brings a new look to welcome Ekushey book fair. Obviously, Ekushey book fair turns out a universal festivity for a get-together of readers and writers.  Publication organizations pass very busy days to publish new books for the Ekushey book fair.
It is always a fertile platform for the new writers to introduce their creations before the reader communities. Besides, it contributes to producing many new writers and readers playing a crucial role to create a knowledge-based society. Obviously, Ekushey book fair not only enhances the significance of Bangla language but also helps create creative and potential future nation.
Ekushey book fair works as a strong platform to convey the significance of Ekushey to the new generation. The new generation of a country plays a significant role to bear the country's history and culture at heart and bring them to a global height.

But how far our new generation is prepared to bring every possibility ignited with the essence of books. Our youths are the digital natives. They are used to seeing all the digital devices as soon as they are born. They get habituated to screening since their very early days. The question may be pertinent to raise; how far this generation thinks of reading books, How far they know the history of Ekushey and how much they carry the significance of Ekushey at heart?  

Different sources and studies have revealed that book reading habit amid the screen generation has declined drastically. This generation finds more interest in confining themselves on screen than fostering book reading habit. In the digital age they, in all cases, find digital solutions even there is the question of developing intellectual creativity.

But do we find any alternative to enhancing knowledge and creativity without reading books? However, it is worrying to notice that screen generation is, in many cases, detached from pragmatic knowledge-based practices and love to spend time aimlessly with the digital devices. It sounds good when parents claim that their children are so advanced in the era of digitization. But where is the ground that they will not face any collapse when their foundation will be weak due to their declination to reading books.

These days are really gone when educated parents used to encourage their children to read books and cultivate a healthy reading culture in their family. In most cases, students were not merely confined to reading the text books and other related ones assigned for them at educational institutions. They developed an attraction to reading different books.

Usually, every meritorious student would have a great collection of books. Collecting and reading books were the fashion of those days. In many cases, children would get inspired to reading books as many parents in those days would spend their leisure reading books. Book reading became the part of family culture.

However, this generation has the access to screen reading. They can access global sources and materials on screen and develop their creativity faster than the previous generations. Certainly, they are blessed with more scopes in this age but how far they develop their creativity using screens is a matter of arguments. Many find them wasting time on screen uselessly.

Again to many, screen reading can be tiring some and may be not as interesting as book reading. Studies show that readers cannot give full concentration to online reading. A study conducted on the US children showed that 85 per cent of the respondent students were reported multitasking when they read digitally compared with 26 per cent for print.

It is true that the number of book lovers and readers has declined in the digital age. But huge visitors at the Ekushey book fair may not convey the message that the number of readers are declining gradually. It is good to see that there is a huge rush of youths at the fair. But do they have any zeal for new collection of books? May be not as many find this place as the ground of passing time and gossiping with their loved ones.

They are hardly found searching or collecting books, rather they remain busy with taking selfies and photographs as long as they stay at the book fair. You may see many youths visiting one stall to another but they prefer showing off to being attracted to the inner beauty of books. As our youths cannot come out of screen addiction, they hardly see the true attraction to books.

Reading is the most powerful force in education. It helps us to travel from past to present and to future. It helps us to transfer our knowledge from one generation to the other. Through reading a student gets experience and skills that help to unlock his /her every potential required to cope with the advancing world. So, it is time to ponder over how the screen generation can be encouraged with book reading culture. The new generation can hardly achieve quality education unless they are able to develop their creative faculties. Book reading habit certainly develops creative faculties of the individuals.

Alaul Alam, Teacher, Prime University