Between the pressure of studying and social media, how to maintain love of books?

đọc sách - Ảnh 1. — Speakers at the seminar "A mother's heart - Books and learning" held within the framework of the Saigon Ward Book Fair - Photo: HO NHUONG

The discussion took place within the framework of the Saigon Ward Book Fair organized by the Vietnam Women's Publishing House in Ho Chi Minh City from September 5 to 14.

According to the speakers, books not only provide knowledge but also train thinking, nurture the soul and shape human personality. However, for today's youth, with the proliferation of social networks and the temptations of modern life, maintaining the habit of reading is not easy.

The dilemma of reading in the midst of so many temptations

Reading culture development expert Ngo Thi Hong Anh, the moderator of the discussion, commented that today's young generation has more opportunities to access knowledge than ever before, through books, the Internet, social networks or television. However, they face many other challenges, making it difficult to maintain the habit of reading every day.

Many students read books because of study pressure or teacher requirements. In addition, choosing books becomes difficult when there are too many books, too much information around, while the school library does not have enough books to meet reading needs according to interests.

Agreeing with the above comment, journalist Bui Tien Dung, head of the education department of Tuoi Tre newspaper, shared that the biggest challenge for parents today is not the lack of books, but how to get children to voluntarily pick up a book amid the many choices and temptations of the digital age.

"To form a reading habit for their children, many families even have to "bargain" with their children: read a certain number of pages of a book, memorize a certain number of poems, then get to watch TV for 30 minutes, or play games for an hour," said Mr. Dung.

Not only students have difficulty, but teachers also have little time to read books, a literature teacher in Ho Chi Minh City shared. "The pressure of grading papers, creating lesson plans and teaching activities makes maintaining a daily reading habit more difficult than ever," she said.

However, she also affirmed that reading books every day is extremely important. Books are precious assets of humanity, because they have been distilled through the experiences and thoughts of the writer. Therefore, books not only provide knowledge but also nourish the soul, train thinking and form personality.

Lifelong learning from books

To overcome the difficulties in maintaining the reading habit, the speakers suggested that parents should encourage children and readers in general to develop a natural reading habit. Reading should focus on quality rather than quantity.

"Choosing to read novels, classic stories or books that suit your interests will help maintain long-term interest and bring high efficiency," said Ms. Ngo Thi Hong Anh.

Journalist Nguyen Hong Lam, deputy head of the People's Public Security Media Department's representative office in Ho Chi Minh City, shared that with academic books, readers should patiently read them over and over again, even if they do not fully understand them, so that the knowledge can gradually penetrate the subconscious. Just one page of a book each day can open up a whole world of knowledge. Readers should combine self-study, writing diaries and practical experiences to turn knowledge from books into life experience.

He believes that forming reading methods for students also requires close support from teachers because self-study through books will easily lead to knowledge gaps or incorrect application.

"Learning from books is not only about absorbing information, but also about learning how to live and how to solve problems. Therefore, reading and learning methods need to be practical, helping learners understand the nature and train their thinking, instead of just learning to cope to get scores," said Mr. Lam.

According to Mr. Bui Tien Dung, reading is lifelong learning. If learning only stops at a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree, it is still too thin, even selfish. The most important thing is learning through reading, that is when children naturally seek knowledge, read with interest and efficiency, instead of just coping.

"Reading should start with simple things in daily life," emphasized Mr. Nguyen Quang Thach, founder of the "Rural Book" program and author of the book "Footsteps Calling the Mother's Heart."

Mr. Thach believes that teaching children to think may be easy, but forming the habit of reading, loving knowledge and life values is more difficult. When reading, it is necessary to orient oneself according to scientific categories and keywords to exploit knowledge effectively. Reading a lot will have a solid foundation in Vietnamese, this foundation also helps to learn foreign languages faster and more conveniently.

Nurturing the soul, intelligence and personality

A parent attending the discussion shared that like taking care of good soil for plants to grow, reading and education will nurture the soul, intelligence and personality of children every day. Books are a way to record the efforts, sacrifices and thoughts of those who have contributed to the next generation, as a spiritual heritage.

"As a teacher, I know very well that students' reading and learning ability are very important. Although I teach math, I always have a love for poetry, literature and a spirit of dedication. Reading, loving books and inspiring the next generation to read is something that will never go out of style," she emphasized.

Forming a reading habit

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, head of the Southern branch of the Vietnam Women's Publishing House, shared that the Saigon Ward Book Fair is the first book fair named "Saigon Ward" when Ho Chi Minh City merged, with the desire to inspire and spread the reading habit of urban residents, so that reading becomes a daily habit, a cultural practice in a stressful life.

Taking place from September 5 to 14, the book fair offers a diverse range of activities, focusing on the weekends: discussions on critical thinking, social networks, learning skills through reading, and many thematic talk shows.

This is an effort to realize the goal of building reading habits, improving people's knowledge, arousing the spirit of innovation, creating knowledge, while spreading cultural values, connecting the community and fostering a love of books for all ages.

Back to topic

HO NHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giua-ap-luc-hoc-tap-va-mang-xa-hoi-lam-sao-giu-tinh-yeu-sach-20250914205049413.htm