It seems that all current media is moving towards short videos. Readers have limited time and want to get all the information in 30 seconds. Our lives are also like this, with an increasingly fast pace and more short-term social interactions. It's as if we are not living for ourselves anymore. In order to have a foothold in a big city and give our distant loved ones something to look forward to, we have to work hard for our lives in a city full of tall buildings. Who has time to sit down and read long content?
During my study abroad in Japan, when I took the train, I often saw people reading from a library of texts. Some may say this is because Japan lacks abundant online information and there is not much entertainment on the train. Yes, that's true, but also not true. Yes, it is because Japan's internet development has stagnated. Japan started early in the internet industry and had a great advantage, but it didn't give birth to a global internet company like TikTok. No, it is because reading is indeed a habit that Japanese people have been cultivated since childhood. What China currently lacks is a way to cultivate children's reading habits. Exam-oriented education occupies most of the children's time, including exam-oriented reading. Reading has become a means to an end, making children think that reading can only bring good grades. Once there is no reward, their threshold for happiness decreases and they no longer want to read.
Recently, I was influenced by a Zhihu answer and became interested in a book called "The Personal Growth of Smart People". The author abstractly summarizes various factors in the personal growth process, allowing people to have a clear understanding of their own growth. I bought this book two weeks ago, but I have only had time to read one chapter. The rest of the time, I am still using streaming media to fill the void in my heart. Perhaps today is a new beginning, allowing me to take some time to organize my thoughts and prepare for the future.