Give me 26 soldiers of lead and I shall conquer the world.
Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg
Typography, although unknown in Europe until Gutenberg’s invention, was already known in China even before the ninth century. However, it is Gutenberg who turned the public’s attention to it and succeeds, in a matter of a few hundred years, to shape a society where the majority would know how to read and write, something that before was considered the privilege of the clergy and, in a some cases, of the nobility.
In the time span since we’ve had the possibility to easily multiply texts, millions and millions of books have been printed, in even many more copies. The variety of the printed texts is simply astonishing, and the access to the books is no longer an issue, since we have public libraries everywhere.
The book, in its general acception, once it became a main instrument for education and information, didn’t stop there. There are books of any literary genre you would like to read, starting from philosophy and economy to leisure literature or for children.
Despite all this, I’ve noticed the book has entered in some kind of a relative vertiginous downfall. I could understand that the Internet offers means of education and information thus facilitating the acces to information, but the problem I talk about is that people, especially young people, don’t read. With no apparent reason, the Internet is limited to chating software and searches for flood programs. Hardly anyone is interested in e-books.
So I have to wonder: have I aged that much that it is already a case of generational conflict?
I know a pretty interesting case: one of my students literally bragged to me that he had never read a single book. I can’t believe it’s an isolated case, as I haven’t met many people who are interested in reading. When I was in highschool, in the twelfth grade, I had colleagues that spelled words before they read them. Is that normal?
In extremis, I could say we are facing a widespread case of read-o-phobia, although the reasons for this fobia are unknown to me.
Screw reading! A book’s pages are not even good for rolling your ciggarettes with them 
P.S. for Gutenberg: your conquest is going to waste 
DarkByte is
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July 21st, 2008 at 10:26 AM
“Lecturofobie”…
Daca nu as fi “vazut” cu ochii mei (statistici), nu as fi crezut nici in ziua de azi… dar e adevarat: IQ-ul mediu global… SCADE!
Suntem mai prosti decat acum 300 de ani! Cu toate mp3 player-urile, SmartPhone-urile, iPod-urile, satelitii si celelalte gadget-uri…
Cine mai citeste daca are TV-ul cu plasma, DVD player, Proiector, PlayStation si Torrents?
Asa ca … “lecturofobie” e prea punctual… problema e mult mai generala. Eu n-am citit destul la viata mea si regret asta. Mai bine ma bateau ai mei mai des… da’ macar la ora asta pot sa ma laud ca nu am nici televizor…
Cat despre timp… hehh… de fiecare data gasim ceva mai “important” de facut.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:29 AM
N-am spus că e singura problemă în existență, a fost doar ce mi-a trecut prin cap în momentul respectiv.
N-am acoperit nici jumătate din subiectul acesta, ce rost avea să mai și generalizez ?
P.S. DotA e mult mai “importantă”, nu ?
July 21st, 2008 at 9:20 PM
Frumos ca aduci subiectul asta in discutie,uite o alta persoana care constientizeaza….dar ce poti sa faci?
Stiti de ce nu mai citim? pentru ca omul,din fire, este o fiinta egoista,cauta sa aiba totul cu minimul de efort,iar tehnologia de azi,fix asta promoveaza si nu se doreste contrariul,asa e firea umana.
Nu e de mirare ca pe vremea comunistilor eram mai uniti,suferinta uneste oamenii…nu apreciezi ceea ce ai decat cand nu ai,asta e sigur.
Fiti sigur ca oamenii din lumea a 3-a nu sunt in situatia noastra…pentru moment.
Glacius,apropo de iq mondial,uita-te la “Idiocracy”,daca nu l-ai vazut deja,o sa vezi o previziune care are la baza presumtia ta
e dobitocire progresiva mondiala.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:58 AM
e adevarat ca lumea nu prea mai citeste absolut deloc…si cartile au fost inlocuite cu tehnologia..Dar,curios daca te duci prin biblioteci,vei vedea ca majoritatea rafturilor sunt goale.Chestia asta chiar ma bucura,dar contrastul dintre esenta si aparenta este mult prea exacerbat.Se stie ca azi lumea e guvernata de prostie,incultura o gasesti la tot pasul si sunt extrem de putini care citesc dar totusi..de ce cei care citesc in esenta nu se vad prin aparenta.De fapt poate este invers,aparenta cei care citesc si esenta incultii…dar totusi unii mai citesc,si spre mandria mea pot sa afirm ca stiu mai multi oameni pasionati de lectura decat inculti deci..chiar daca numarul ambelor colective este destul de mare..
July 25th, 2008 at 5:28 PM
Am avut si eu colegi care pana acum in clasa a 12a citeau jalnic, vorba ta, silabiseau… Cine stie unde o sa duca asta si pentru cat timp, deocamdata e mult prea evident ca nu se duce bine…
P.S. ce pijama ti-ai tras la blog
July 27th, 2008 at 10:21 PM
@ 3Nigma
Da, “Idiocracy” l-am vazut (din gresala
).
Anyway, nu cred ca se va ajunge acolo… selectia naturala are grija de noi toti ^^
August 29th, 2009 at 9:17 PM
[...] spuneam mai demult, simpla acțiune de a deschide o carte este privită cu indiferență, dezgust sau chiar repulsie. [...]