Balance between digital media and books stressed

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 5: On the occasion of International Literacy Day 2025, Sanskriti International School, Thulo Bharyang, organised a series of events under the theme 'Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era' on Wednesday. 

The event, held as part of the school’s literacy week activities, witnessed enthusiastic participation from students, teachers, and the school administration. 

Moderated by Bishwa Sigdel, the programme featured journalist Deepak Samir, poet cum journalist Shakuntala Joshi, and publisher and bookseller Sudesh Dotel, who shared their insights on the importance of reading culture, the opportunities and challenges of literacy in the digital era, and their personal experiences with books.

Samir recalled how books he read in childhood guided him in life, while expressing concern that today’s generation is gradually losing the habit of reading. 

"It is needed to strike a balance between digital media and books," he saida, adding there are countless ways to learn digitally, the deep joy and experience of reading physical pages cannot be replaced.

Poet Joshi shared her childhood experience of reading world literature from her father’s library in a remote hill village where there were no other means of communication. 

"Books were the medium to connect the world," she said, highlighting the timeless beauty of reading. 

She also cautioned that while Generation Z has easy access to knowledge and information through digital platforms, careless use of technology could lead to weakened social relationships.

Publisher Dotel underlined that reading beyond textbooks strengthens creativity and critical thinking. "The younger generation must embrace both digital literacy and book culture side by side," he stressed. "Their campaign aims to first engage teachers and parents with reading habits so they can inspire children."

Citing an international survey on reading culture across more than 100 countries, he pointed out that while the United States ranks highest in average annual book reading, with India and Pakistan also appearing in the list, Nepal did not feature at all,  a clear indication of how far behind the country is in reading culture.

During the programme, students actively interacted with the speakers on topics such as literature, digital technology, the future of reading culture, book selection, time management for reading, and ways to nurture enthusiasm for reading. 

The session was conducted in the special presence of School Director Dipti Acharya, Principal Timila Shrestha, Vice Principal Amit Mantri, along with other representatives of the administration and students. 

The school administration announced its commitment to continue promoting reading culture more effectively through similar events in the days ahed.