KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — A reading culture must be fostered as a defence for youth against unchecked digital content and social media addiction, said Media Selangor chief executive officer Mohamed Fareed Mohamed Ashaaree.
He added that today’s youth face the problem of shrinking attention spans due to their lack of reading and spending too much time on social media, including by doomscrolling.
“For example, in the United States, the people there on average only spend seven minutes reading compared with seven hours on social media.
“This trend is very worrying because it could affect one’s mental health,” he said at the Heart & Mind: Leaders’ Edition dialogue during the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (PBAKL) at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.
Fareed said the government’s move to limit social media use to over-16s is appropriate given the negative impacts of such platforms on children’s mental and social development.
He added that parents play an important role in fostering a reading culture in their children from a young age, including by spending time reading with their children and giving them books as rewards for their academic achievements.
Fareed also said this year’s PBAKL was made merrier by the droves of parents bringing their children to the fair during the school break and long weekend.
