By Amos Tauna
A librarian with Library Board of Kaduna State, northern Nigeria, Mohammed Sabiu Danbala, has observed that to reduce ignorance and poverty in Nigeria, the youths must desist from the distraction and gradual derail from serious learning activities and reading values being demonstrated in the form of love for electronic gadgets.
He noted that the teachers/operators of the various institutions of learning must re-engage the young people on re-awakening the reading culture and sustain it as a daily diet.
Speaking at an annual book day programme organized by Sacred Heart Primary School, Kaduna on the topic, “Discovering the World Through Reading”, he observed that young people especially students must desist from reading only during an impending examination but should take up the challenge of becoming active readers without season if they must record unprecedented academic breakthrough on general knowledge.
Mr. Mohammed noted with dismay that research had shown that social media activities revealed that the topics that gulps their attention revolves round love, celebrity, dating, romance, sports with little or no regard for academic and intellectual discourse.
“The indiscriminate murdering of correct spelling of words on their conversations under the disguise of shortening spellings or SMS grows concern on the heart of grammar professionals as these shortened spelling makes it difficult for those who do not belong to a specific group chats, race or cultural background to read, decode and understand what is being typed.
“The love for electronic gadgets and appliances, video games, TV, multi-media phones computer is taking the bulk of the time/interest of young people in today’s world. This habit directly or indirectly affects the level of commitment to academic task and reading values in the life of our young people.
“Our young people devote so much time to chatting on electronic social media platforms like the 2go, we chat, what sapp, face book, Twitter, BBM, Instagram, amongst other things.
“Parents, teachers have an important role o play in developing the reading habits of their children even before they go to the library, it is sad to note that most parents are not so keen in encouraging their children to use the library,” he observed.
