When I remember the popularity of reading novels, plays and collections of poems in the 1970s, 80s and 90s and how the appreciation of reading culture boosted the intellectual skills of Nigerian children, youths and elders in those decades, I wonder why the present generation of Nigerian children and youths don't appreciate literature.

Don't jump to the conclusions of blaming the emergence and popularity of social media and GSM phones, because they have not stopped the popularity of literature in America, Europe and Asia where novels are still selling millions of copies and authors are still competing for The New York Times Bestsellers List. But in Nigeria, the children and youths are intellectually clueless and the poor reading culture has gone from bad to worse. Even the students don't want to read their text books again. The terrible consequences of their intellectual underdevelopment are manifesting in the uncivilized behaviour of Nigerian children and youths.

The students at the universities and the secondary school pupils are not different in speaking and behaviour as can be seen from their writings. The essays of senior secondary school pupils read like essays we wrote in primary schools in the 1970s. You see graduates with very poor intellectual comprehension at job interviews. The tragedy of it all is they are not even aware of their predicament. The degeneration of reading culture in Nigeria is affecting the appreciation of life, because majority of Nigerians are now misbehaving like uneducated people.

They are going to schools in legions, but graduating without being educated. As we can see that even though Nigerians are the largest population of users of GSM phones and internet in Africa, even the best Nigerian universities are not among the top 10 in Africa. And when a Nigerian girl will text to thank me, she will type "fenks" and she is a student of Mass Communication at the university.

TOO LONG...



CAN'T READ

Op, you are right. My younger sister and I had a discussion on this same topic some days ago. Gone are those days when we use to boast of the number of books we have read and when I say books I meant novels both indigenous and foreign. I could still remember my primary school days how I use to devour any novel that comes my way. My siblings and I will be reading a particular novel with each of us holding the different pages or leaves we are on to. In my primary school days we spend most of our break periods in the library and we borrowed those litterature texts we couldn't finish before the end of break. I still believe that use of GSM and social media has greatly affected our nowadays kids.

Kingsasian:
Op, you are right. My younger sister and I had a discussion on this same topic some days ago. Gone are those days when we use to boast of the number of books we have read and when I say books I meant novels both indigenous and foreign. I could still remember my primary school days how I use to devour any novel that comes my way. My siblings and I will be reading a particular novel with each of us holding the different pages or leaves we are on to. In my primary school days we spend most of our break periods in the library and we borrowed those litterature texts we couldn't finish before the end of break. I still believe that use of GSM and social media has greatly affected our nowadays kids.

I remember those good old days. *smiles* We just wanted to devour them.

Quite true! The one that annoys me most is when I see people use abbreviations when writing, chatting or making comments on social media. I tell people whenever I have the opportunity to talk with them that it is a very bad habit. It is sheer laziness. Your spelling skills would definitely decline. And most times the ones that call themselves graduates indulge in such. It's no more a surprise to me when I see people make comments like, 'too long, can't read.' Like, what the hell?? Nigerian youths really need to CHANGE!

Divepen1:
I remember those good old days. *smiles* We just wanted to devour them.

lol

Kingsasian:
I could still remember my primary school days how I use to devour any novel that comes my way. My siblings and I will be reading a particular novel with each of us holding the different pages or leaves we are on to. In my primary school days we spend most of our break periods in the library and we borrowed those litterature texts we couldn't finish before the end of break.

@ Kingsasian

I concur with your points. I had the same upbringing. Back in those days, we literally "devoured" books like there was no tomorrow. Hardley Chase, Shakespeare, Mills and Boon (for the female folk though) to Where There Is No Doctor. Up till now I read a lot. My parents started off by encouraging us to read any sign we see on the road (ranging from signposts to notices).

It really bleeds my heart because you hardly find any young person to engage in a meaningful conversation.

On a larger part, modern parents are to blame. They practically have no time for their wards. They don't set boundaries for their children. All has been let loose. They should set a limit on what they watch, time they spend on the Internet and also apply a curfew.

How many parents have time to go through their ward's exercise books? 10%, 20%, 30%... 99.99%?

It's really disheartening to say the least. Go to the Politics Section of NL and you will see how custodians of our generation (elderly ones) exchange insults with one another and with custodians of the next generation (younger ones) without proper diction. The shortening of words has eaten into fabrics of our system to the extent that even some graduates looking for employment use them.

Social media only adds to the smaller percentage of the problem.

My humble submission. Shalom.

@
dearpreye
VickyRotex

Your attention is needed here please. Food is ready

Dioxidane:
Quite true! The one that annoys me most is when I see people use abbreviations when writing, chatting or making comments on social media I tell people whenever I have the opportunity to talk with them that it is a very bad habit. It is sheer laziness. Your spelling skills would definitely decline. And most times the ones that call themselves graduates indulge in such. It's no more a surprise to me when I see people make comments like, 'too long, can't read.' Like, what the hell?? Nigerian youths really need to CHANGE!

Used to think I was the only person who get pissed off when I see such abbreviated sentences and words. For crying out loud, if you want to write in English, write/spell correctly or write in pidgin where abbreviations are allowed and there're no correct writing patterns. Beside Text messaging and Twitter where one's writing is limited to 150 characters, comments on social media should be done using properly typed English words. Even when chatting on Whatsapp.

For the topic, I'll table a huge chunk of the blame on parents. Growing up, my parent had a habit of returning home from work with a newspaper/magazine. Mother would call I and my elder brother to come take a copy and read for about an hour. When we return from the "reading room", she'll begin to question us on major headlines and what we understood from the articles. I became a fan of Tell magazine this way. This went on till I left home for the boarding house. I wonder how many homes even have reading rooms today.

Another thing my parent did then was the daily bible readings we practiced during morning devotions. When its your turn, you would read and share your understanding of the day's bible readings with the rest of the family. So it wasn't just reading alone, we were expected to be able to understand and share what we read.

Social media unfortunately has contributed to a decline in our reading, speaking and spelling culture also. It's easier to say or write "coz" than it is to say "Because".

[quote author=dfrost post=36793628]

@ Kingsasian

I concur with your points. I had the same upbringing. Back in those days, we literally "devoured" books like there was no tomorrow. Hardley Chase, Shakespeare, Mills and Boon (for the female folk though) to Where There Is No Doctor. Up till now I read a lot. My parents started off by encouraging us to read any sign we see on the road (ranging from signposts to notices).

It really bleeds my heart because you hardly find any young person to engage in a meaningful conversation.

On a larger part, modern parents are to blame. They practically have no time for their wards. They don't set boundaries for their children. All has been let loose. They should set a limit on what they watch, time they spend on the Internet and also apply a curfew.

How many parents have time to go through their ward's exercise books? 10%, 20%, 30%... 99.99%?

you are right bro. Then in the evenings my mom and dad will ask us all to bring our school books and put us through on the various subjects/topics we find difficult especially in mathematics not without a lot of floggings. On holidays we seldom have free times because my mom who is a teacher always ensures we read our books and most of the literature texts she used when she was in school. That is the reason why till date I am use to reading in the evenings than at any other time of the day. Its so appalling that parents no longer have time for their wards yet they want them to perform very well in the external examinations such as WAEC, NECO etc. No wonder the gross rate of failure in these examinations.

dfrost:


@ Kingsasian

I concur with your points. I had the same upbringing. Back in those days, we literally "devoured" books like there was no tomorrow. Hardley Chase, Shakespeare, Mills and Boon (for the female folk though) to Where There Is No Doctor. Up till now I read a lot. My parents started off by encouraging us to read any sign we see on the road (ranging from signposts to notices).

It really bleeds my heart because you hardly find any young person to engage in a meaningful conversation.

On a larger part, modern parents are to blame. They practically have no time for their wards. They don't set boundaries for their children. All has been let loose. They should set a limit on what they watch, time they spend on the Internet and also apply a curfew.

How many parents have time to go through their ward's exercise books? 10%, 20%, 30%... 99.99%?

It's really disheartening to say the least. Go to the Politics Section of NL and you will see how custodians of our generation (elderly ones) exchange insults with one another and with custodians of the next generation (younger ones) without proper diction. The shortening of words has eaten into fabrics of our system to the extent that even some graduates looking for employment use them.

Social media only adds to the smaller percentage of the problem.

My humble submission. Shalom.

@
dearpreye
VickyRotex

Your attention is needed here please. Food is ready

My honourable, good morning, and thanks for the mention. It was reportedly said by the late JFK that the future of any nation lies in the proper education of its youths.

The present lack of reading culture is worrisome as it gravely portends a huge danger for us as a people and a nation.

Good morning, OP! The issue at hand is both troubling and dangerous. What we're witnessing is the result of many years of lack of reading on the path of youths.

Like you rightly said, and as many will agree, I grew up with a zeal for knowledge that's still keeping me going. I read almost everything in sight. As a kid who grew up in a suburb in Lagos, and not having the ease of getting books and materials to read, I read bills and papers town away by workers from the NPA and other sources. I just knew I didn't know enough.

Though I didn't really delve into the likes of Hadley Chase and Co, I devoted so much time to my books and religious materials. I still have scores of books littering my shelf.

Youths of these days hardly read. They're just interested in making quick money, buy the biggest phones and spend their lives arguing who's the better between Messi and Ronaldo. I really find it strange that while a few are taking advantage of the Internet to read more, the same Internet serves as a weak reason why many others won't read.

OP, that this thread worn attract many comments and views is a huge testament to your assertion.

dearpreye:


My honourable, good morning.

Good morning to you too. I hope you slept well? Abeg remove honourable I no reach at all .

dearpreye:

OP, that this thread won't attract many comments and views is a huge testament to your assertion.

I'm sure if it was a thread about celebrities or any other ludicrous content of no present or future benefit(s) to them, you'll see them rushing to 'book space'... I shake my for youths of today...

Igwe Lalasticlala, please come and see this.

I think the biggest blame falls to the government and the parents, though the youths themselves shoulder some blame.

My parents weren't particularly who I'll describe as readers. The stress of providing food and shelters and school fees for upward of 5 children wasn't an easy task. Good bless them for all their efforts. They never failed to provide our fees on time and so has already set me up to study.

For me, becoming born again( I pray I still am today ) at a very tender age also helped me. Deeper life taught me to read a lot and be focused.

The society has not given reading the right place. It doesn't respect teachers and scholars. It has esteemed wealth and obscene acquisition of wealth above thorough education. The youths are seeing all these societal ills. When last did you see a spelling competition being handsomely rewarded? What of Maltina Dance show? The youths know the values of the society lie. They are observing the system and are adapting to it. I'm yet to see a public library in my LGA.

Parents haven't done well too. They hardly pay adequate attention to the academics of their kids. They hardly read themselves, so where do you expect the kids to catch that habit? Unless they have good friends who read very well and often.

Dioxidane:


I'm sure if it was a thread about celebrities or any other ridiculous content of no present or future benefit(s) to them, you'll see them rushing to 'book space'... I shake my for youths of today...

Igwe Lalasticlala, please come and see this.

Bro, it's a deplorable and depressing trend. I've not watched the TV for more than 15 minutes at one seating for the past 6 months. I can't keep watching people who are making millions every day. Madness!

All I can do is surround my home with books and encourage my family to read. That's the best I can do.

dearpreye:


Bro, it's a deplorable and depressing trend. I've not watched the TV for more than 15 minutes at one seating for the past 6 months. I can't keep watching people who are making millions every day. Madness!

All I can do is surround my home with books and encourage my family to read. That's the best I can do.

I thought I was the only one. I get easily bored now when I watch movies.

In your previous comment, you blamed the government. I wouldn't really agree with that. The bulk of the blame should go to the parents. When I was younger, I always saw my dad reading like he was preparing for an exam, when he wasn't. Watching him do that instilled in me the love of reading. I still it that if I had read as much as my dad read when he was younger, perhaps I might have been more intelligent.

Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.”⁠ Children easily absorb things when they are younger. I watched a program yesterday where a young boy of seven had already mastered the art of playing the piano. Who taught him? His father! That goes to show that the example parents set for their children is very important for their well being. They shouldn't shy away from it.

So true

tru

men, I open novel club 2 years ago.... na only me finish all the 100 novels I take start









meanwhile if you wanna laugh tire today
CHECK MY SIGNATURE TO READ MY FUNNY SECRET DIARY

When the young ones spends 24/7 online when would they have time to read!!

Things changed

Technology has advanced. For people who really dont like reading, listening to a book has now made life better.

.

The statement is valid to some extent

Fellow Nairalanders, please check out our incredible offer below

true

Readers are leaders

That should not bother me mehn...

And novels and literature will solve the problem? How about motivational books? I will pick a newspaper over a novel anytime, any day! The older generation place too much importance on these literatures. There are many other ways of learning, Even the so called TV and GSM the older generation have condemn so much are better suited for learning than novels. A simple scrolling through Nairaland or watching top international news station, Documentaries etc would benefit the youth greatly. We are in a capitalists system, Economics/Entrepreneurship is the way! Not fantasy, Eze goes to school stuff blah blah. I will suggest motivational books, how to survive in this wicked capitalist system to my kids than one fantasy novel. Both those that read all day and those that doesn't still end up in the Labour market or worse unemployed.... You need something more to be exceptional and that "Thing" isn't in novels and Shakespeare's poems.

If you want to hide anything from an african man put it down in a book!