WHY SCROLLING ISN'T ENOUGH: WHAT READING BOOKS DOES FOR THE BRAIN

 

Reading vs scrolling

A few weeks ago, I conducted a simple survey among my teenage students about their reading habits. The results surprised me—and, to be honest, worried me.

Among fifteen students, only one student reported reading books regularly. Just one.

Most of the others told me that they "read online": social media posts, websites, chats, news snippets, or content recommended by algorithms. While this certainly involves reading in a broad sense, it is very different from the sustained, focused reading that books require.

Their responses prompted me to dedicate a couple of lessons to a topic that has been receiving increasing attention from educators, researchers, and parents alike: the reading crisis among children and young people. Together, we explored videos, podcasts, articles, and studies examining the decline in book reading and its possible consequences for learning, thinking and personal development.

The more we discussed the issue, the more I realised that this is not simply a question of whether young people enjoy reading. It raises deeper questions about attention, language, empathy, critical thinking, creativity  and even how our brains develop.

The reflections that follow emerged from those classroom discussions and from the research we examined together. They are not intended as an attack on technology or digital media. Rather, they are an invitation to consider what books offer that scrolling alone cannot.

BEYOND THE PAGES: 5 JULY K-DRAMAS WITH STORIES THAT MATTER

Hello, FLY HIGH readers! 🪁

If you’ve been following my recent journeys here, you know how much comfort I find in the pages of healing fiction like Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, or in the profound psychological wisdom of Korean literature. Last month, I shared how JTBC's We Are All Trying Here -which I saw on Netflix - looked directly into my soul. It reminded me once again that TV drama, at its best, can be just as deeply human and moving as a great novel.

With July officially underway, a brand-new roster of Korean storytelling is arriving on our screens. While I don't post about TV lineups often,  a few upcoming releases caught my eye and I want to share them with you all.

DIGITAL ADDICTION: WHY TEACHING AWARENESS MATTERS MORE THAN PROHIBITION

This past school year, I worked with my students on two texts dealing with social media, digital addiction, algorithms and the growing concern about the effects of excessive screen time on young people.

The topic immediately generated lively discussion. Almost every student recognised some of the behaviours described in the texts: checking notifications repeatedly, opening social media apps without a specific reason, losing track of time while scrolling, or feeling the need to stay constantly connected.

As teachers and parents, we often hear alarming messages about social media. We are told that young people spend too much time online, that platforms are addictive and that digital technologies are damaging attention spans and mental health. Some governments have started discussing  or even passed  age restrictions and bans.

Yet I have become increasingly convinced that prohibition alone is not the answer.

What young people need most is awareness.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS - DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP: FINDING HOME AMONG BOOKS

Some books arrive not with a bang but with the gentle rustle of turning pages. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa is one of them.

Set in Jimbocho, Tokyo's famous book district, this charming little novel tells the story of Takako, a young woman whose life is thrown off course when her boyfriend unexpectedly leaves her for another woman. Adrift and uncertain about her future, she reluctantly accepts an invitation from her eccentric uncle Satoru to move into the small room above the family's second-hand bookshop.

GROWING UP IN AN AGE THAT FEARS ADULTHOOD

 

 

As a teacher, the end of the school year always brings the buzz of the Esame di Maturità. While I wasn’t directly involved in the exam commissions this year, I couldn't resist checking the exam papers assigned on the first day for the Italian essay. Among the several different options available to the students, the B3 task immediately caught my eye.

Ironically, I found myself thinking that the prompt—centered on the boundaries of maturity—was actually far more suitable for an adult to reflect on than a teenager! Yet, if I had been sitting at one of those desks taking the exam myself, that is absolutely the task I would have chosen. The prompt was based on Frank Furedi's book I confini contano (Boundaries Matter), which references Julie Beck's article in The Atlantic, "When Are You Really an Adult?", to show how contemporary culture portrays adulthood as a nuisance where independence becomes loneliness and responsibility turns into stress.

KDRAMA REVIEW: WE ARE ALL TRYING HERE

 

 

Some dramas entertain you. Some make you cry. And then, once in a blue moon, a drama comes along that seems to look directly into your soul.

We Are All Trying Here is one of those rare experiences.

Heart-wrenching, healing, hilarious, and profoundly human, JTBC's latest drama explores a simple but painful truth: everyone is fighting battles we cannot see. Its Korean title translates roughly to "Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness," and that theme runs through every moment of the series.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS: IF YOU LIVE TO 100, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE HAPPY

 

"Life is a story that deserves to be read until the very last page. No one knows what the universe has in store for us. Happiness can be found in the most unexpected corners of everyday life."

Some books arrive in our lives exactly when we need them. I believe this was one of them.

I did not read If You Live to 100, You Might As Well Be Happy by Rhee Kun Hoo quickly. It was a book to be sipped slowly, one chapter at a time, allowing its reflections to settle in my mind.

I am at a stage of life that often leaves me restless. Time seems to have accelerated beyond measure. Retirement, once a distant concept, is slowly approaching. I find myself confronting the uncomfortable realization that I am no longer young and wondering what lies ahead. When a friend handed me this book after reading it herself, she must have sensed that I needed its wisdom.

WHEN SUMMER ENDS ... AND A NEW DREAM BEGINS

 

There are some posts that almost write themselves.

This is one of them.

Those of you who have been following Fly High for a while know that I write about many things that make life richer: books, travel, languages, beautiful places, inspiring people... and music.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS: GREEK LESSONS BY HAN KANG

 

In the wake of her acclaimed work, The Vegetarian, Han Kang delivers another powerful novel, Greek Lessons, hailed as the Book of the Year 2023 by The New Yorker, TIME magazine, and Kirkus. This poignant tale explores the redemptive power of language and human connection.

Set in a classroom in Seoul, Greek Lessons follows the story of a young woman who has lost her voice, metaphorically and literally. As she watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard, she grapples with the silence that surrounds her. Her teacher, gradually losing his sight, finds himself drawn to her enigmatic presence.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF ITALO CALVINO: FINDING LIGHTNESS IN THE INFERNO

 

This year marks the centennial celebration of the remarkable Italian writer Italo Calvino. As an Italian and a devoted reader of his works, I find myself compelled to share the profound impact that his words and ideas have had on me. While my blog, FLY HIGH, primarily caters to an English-speaking audience, including many Americans and native English speakers, the universal themes in Calvino's literature make this tribute a perfect opportunity to engage with an international audience.