On the news this past two days, there is an ongoing discussion regarding the reading capability of today’s youngsters in Flanders. These young people, specifically secondary school students, are not reading as much, nor as well as their predecessors. The individuals that were interviewed on television simply said that they do not enjoy reading, thus never develop an appetite nor habit for this activity.

Laziness? Technology? Short attention spans? Different priorities? What is to be blamed here?

I think the main culprit is CGI. When you have TV series or films with superior computer generated visuals like in Game of Thrones, who still have the brain power nor imagination to bring oneself into a self-thought-out universe?

I grew up in an environment where there was hardly any screen time. In such, I learned to develop an ability of turning simple words into an adventure or a fantastic world which my mind may wander. There is hardly any effort in visualizing stories and strange new universes in my mind-eye. It must be rather difficult for people growing up with 24-hour television, realistic computer games, and high quality visuals to develop this ability.