When was the last time you read a book? Not for school, not for exams, but because you wanted to read it. Was it a few days ago, or is it in months or even years? Three decades ago, books were the primary source of information and knowledge.

Does this stereotype still hold up in 2026? With information available so easily in a short and concise form on the internet, the value of books seems to have shifted to other forms. 

Nowadays, reading has vanished as a habit but emerged as an obligation, laborious task or even  punishment in some cases. Reading is nowadays associated with academic requirements rather than personal enjoyment and interest.

Interviews with youths of various ages reveal a pattern that is quite concerning. Some admit to not having read a book for years, while others responded saying that their reading habit has been in decline. “Doom scrolling takes up all my free time ”, said Bizen Kawan, 18, describing how social media and shorts have caused a decline in his reading hours.

Most of the people that rarely read a book or those who haven’t picked up a book in years admit that it is not that they don’t want to read books, they very well express a clear intention of wanting to return to their old reading habits. 

“It’s been a year since I last read a book. However, I do want to read more books, but chatting with friends replaces that time,” said 16-year-old Richa Chaurasia. 

Although many youths express a desire to read, they aren’t able to sustain and implement this habit in their routines. Mostly because work, fatigue, digital entertainment and games are often given more priority compared to reading. Saras Shrestha, 22, who works at a wooden artifact shop in Labim Mall, expressed his lifestyle: “Office and game time are taking away the book reading time.” This is the reality of many youths. 

But this does not indicate a disappearance of reading. Even if it is less frequent, people still manage time for books. “The last book I read was a month ago, but I still like reading mystery books on the local bus,” said 19 years old Ozern Shrestha. 

When asked why they do not read on a regular basis, most answers were the same causes: social media, chatting with friends, games, digital entertainment, and doom scrolling. 

Contrary to the belief, this is not an unconscious and absent minded shift. Most of the youths were fully aware of the impact of these digital platforms on them. “I feel like the social media and short form content affects my reading by using up all the leisure time we have,” said Chloe Lama, 20. 

“I have not completed a single book since high school. I want to read some non-fiction and self-help books, but social media has decreased my attention span,” said Kawan. 

A recent publication ‘Feeds, Feelings, and Focus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Examining the Cognitive and Mental Health Correlates of Short-Form Video Use’ shows a clear pattern of heavy shortform content causing decreased attention span and less focus. There was also a large meta study consisting of around 100,000 people that found that frequent users of the platform performed worse in attention, control, and working memory, which are key cognitive abilities necessary for reading and studying.

Yet, reading is not disappearing entirely. It seems to be evolving into other platforms. There are many people reading books through different formats. While the majority of people prefer physical books, there are some youths that prefer ebooks and audiobooks because of their convenience.

“I like to read books while travelling in public transportation, e-books are way more convenient for my case,” said 19-year-old Shrestha. Others are drawn to genres like self-help, which most youths believe are practical and applicable to their lives. “I like books like Atomic Habit as it focuses on habits and personal development, which feels more useful than fiction,” said KC. 

Along with this, TikToks, Instagrams, and Reddit have become an unexpected source of book recommendations for young people.

The majority of the youths want to indulge themselves in reading culture. But students say there are fewer libraries in Nepal. “The very concept of libraries is appealing, but in the context of Nepal, with limited access, no borrowing culture, and an ambient environment, it is hard for us to visit it,” said Lama. This shows a flaw in our current system.  

When this concern was raised with book editor Ramesh Parajuli, he offered a more critical perspective. “The fact that libraries are necessary does not seem to be fully recognized by our country,” he said, pointing to the recent closure of a library at Bhrikuti Mandap. A library that was established through community effort, but unfortunately was shut down after it had not paid the rents. 

Along with access to libraries, some youths pointed out the need for books themselves to be more engaging and interesting. “We need to add more images in books to make them more appealing to youths, as pictures are a strong way of capturing and retaining attention,” said Shrestha, 22, who is currently reading the manga series Berserk. He believes that the picture format would help sustain interest in the story. He also suggested that similar approaches like this can help books to match the changing attention pattern.

There also seems to be a trend of a decrease in the consumption of Nepali literature. In a small sample of 20 youths, 17 of them reported reading English literature. Parajuli said, “There is a much larger catalogue of English literature in comparison to Nepali literature. Furthermore, there is limited specific content targeted towards young adults in Nepali literature. From an early age, we also tend to encourage our children to read English books.”

In an age where information is instantly accessible in a digestible format, the value of reading is in something deeper. As Parajuli explains, there is a core difference between information and knowledge. “When you search in the digital world, you find information. When you read a book, you gain knowledge.” 

The digital platforms and tools may provide you with quick and easy answers, but they are based on computer critical thinking. Reading, however, is an active and complex process, which challenges your critical thinking, interpretation and reflection.“When you read something yourself, you feel it, and interpret it, and then it turns into knowledge. It becomes an experience,” he added.