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Information

How does one nurture a love for reading in the modern world? Perhaps by shutting off our mobile phones? Considering the influence of scripture on the morality that shaped western civilization, is it even possible that when we absorb information by visual osmosis it could change the moral compass too? Will religion, imparted by the ability or not to read scripture, change? Will we become less discriminate about the information received when we depend so much on the sound bites of social media and television? In a world of fake news, can we become more discerning?

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Fact-Check

When we read an in-depth article carefully, there is time to fact check but with the speed that many social media and visual communication platforms bombard the public, there is sometimes less inclination to check the information and most people will tell you it wastes too much time. The result usually is, we end up not knowing what to believe.

Pressure

Another concern is the pressure placed on modern parenting to keep the children occupied every minute of the day. When is the love for reading nurtured or the time to read found also, how on earth will there be time to read and understand scripture? One solution could be remote work. Or, with the dawn of AI, there will be more time for parents and children to engage in reading, but… will they do so? Perhaps superficial social media will still reign supreme.

Distractions

For remote work, do not allow distractions at home and work out a tight schedule to keep work time and leisure separate. Running a disciplined schedule from home requires balance with relaxation time for the entire family. I can’t think of a better way to encourage children to read than to make reading fun-time. And even if you’re not religious, reading time should be a priority, anyway. There are millions of books out there just remember to read critically.

Moral Value

Parent’s wring their hands in despair over the lack of moral values, forgetting that inculcating moral value starts in infancy. I often find in discussions on morality that this some people consider brainwashing. When considering exactly how to teach moral values, without the element of ‘brainwashing’,  Nobel Prize-winning, ‘Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding, comes to mind. Is it ever possible to avoid brain-washing?

Nurture v. Survival

We usually accept the idea that our instinct to survive at any cost must be tempered with our nurturing instinct.  We need this if we expect the species to survive at all. Many other things come into play when we regress into total self-destruction as shown in the book ‘Lord of the Flies’. In the story, survival of the fittest in extreme circumstances triumphs over nurture. Then there is that age-old need to control dictated by various levels of power, greed, envy and the ever-present malady of insecurity, often fed by vanity. All these qualities exist in each one of us to a lesser or greater degree, depending on circumstance and individual experience.

Trigger

Often these qualities may lurk beneath the surface until triggered by innocent incidents–a word, a gesture and even a look. The fallout could be disastrous, as when a seemingly cheerful person suddenly turns on themselves or on loved ones.  This can happen even when a pathogen is absent. What is it that tips the nurture versus destroy scale? Genetics? Do genetics ever trump our efforts to develop a moral compass?

Solution or Failure?

Often we try to solve the problem of severe destructive behaviour through asylums, imprisonment and in some places lethally. How to develop this moral compass if not through reading and education.  This must start at the beginning of a child’s development, notwithstanding brainwashing criticisms. Hopefully, nurture will triumph over destruction.

Critical Thinkers

The circumstances described in ‘Lord of the Flies must always be the exception. I believe parents must encourage our capacity for empathy, kindness, generosity, nurture, caring and building up instead of destroying. We do this when we take part in a child’s navigation and exploration of the world around them through reading. Importance of developing a critical, questioning attitude when we read cannot be stressed enough, and this is where parents’ engagement is vital.

Lynda Rogle

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