Technology has changed our lives drastically in the last few years. For example, men and women, young and old today can’t imagine life without mobile phones. However, the urge to stay connected to the virtual world through social media apps has also resulted in a considerable decline in the book reading habit. Reading books and magazines, which used to be a favourite pastime for many women in the afternoon after they had finished their daily household chores, today seems to have been overtaken by social media apps.
Reading books enriches one in many ways and those who don’t have the habit of reading regularly miss many things in their life. Orissa POST speaks to a few women in the city who still love reading books more than spending time surfing their mobile phones.
Manjula Subudhi, a teacher from Banki, is addicted to reading. “Reading is a habit which generally starts from childhood. During our time, there weren’t too many options to pass time. Even telephones were not common. And that’s how I started reading books. My elder sister used to read a lot. She is a voracious reader and can finish a 350-page book in a day. I love reading short stories, novels and magazines both in Odia and English. I try to read books before going to sleep,” she says.
“Books are the best way to increase your general knowledge. As a teacher, I spend the entire day with books and also advise my students to get into the habit of reading story books. One should try and read books on a variety of subjects. There are so many things happening in the world and by reading books, magazines and newspapers, we can always stay up to date,” she adds.
Puri-based Sarbani Das maintains a hectic work schedule but makes sure to catch up on reading before going to sleep every day. An advocate by profession and a poet by passion, Sarbani says, “Both my passion and profession are related to books. I have a big library in my home, and I love collecting books. I buy at least 10 books on average every time I visit a book fair. I also take care of my books and spend at least an hour in my library every day. That’s the best time of the day for me. I don’t realise how time flies when I read a book. Reading books has helped in improving my general knowledge and also refreshes my mind.”
Bhubaneswar-based Pratima Rayguru says, “It’s not that technology can be blamed for people not reading books. If there is a will, there is a way. I have an android phone and I read books on book reading apps whenever I get time. Reading books helps in sharpening your memory and also develops your imagination power. You start visualising an incident and the characters whenever you read a book. As your brain learns to remember this, your memory starts getting better. When you read fiction, you are transported to a different world. This power of imagination also helps in bringing out your creative best.”
Pratima, who prefers reading books to surfing on the mobile phone, adds, “The biggest difference between reading and watching television or mobile phones is that reading helps to unleash your creativity. The more you read, the more you learn new things. Reading helps to broaden our mind and rediscover life in a new and better way. We start to see the world in a different way by reading books.”
BRATATI BARAL, OP