Enduring value of book in digital age

By Amirreza Asnafi

Associate Professor of Information and Knowledge Studies

At a time when the world is moving at an unprecedented pace through technological, informational, and communicational transformations, reflection on the foundational values of human culture appears more essential than ever — particularly as our attitude toward books, this civilization-shaping phenomenon, is increasingly being challenged.

Recently, I read an article by a respected academic asserting that encouraging traditional reading is equivalent to promoting backwardness. As a librarian, an educator in this field, and someone who trains young librarians in this country, this claim prompted serious reflection. First, it remains unclear what is meant by “traditional books” or “traditional reading.” A book is fundamentally a medium of information; it is neither traditional nor modern. At most, one can distinguish between its physical and electronic formats.
In no library anywhere in the world is the physical book — or the act of reading it — described as “traditional,” not even in societies that pioneered electronic book technologies. The notion of “traditional books” or “traditional reading” is a claim that is not only scientifically and culturally inaccurate, but also potentially harmful. Such framing can foster misconceptions within society and weaken the standing of books, reading, and the circulation of ideas. Books are neither symbols of backwardness nor relics of a pre-industrial era; rather, they have served as the axis of intellectual transformation, the foundation of civilizations, and the source of major innovations throughout history — and they continue to do so today.
Inviting people to read is an invitation to think, to understand deeply, to analyze, and to reflect —qualities that are more vital in the digital age than ever before. Technology may accelerate our movement, but it is thought that gives that movement direction. If reading books is labeled as backwardness, then we must also accept that human civilization itself — science, philosophy, law, civil liberties, academic achievements, and even contemporary technologies — has been built upon this so-called “backwardness.”
Books carry civilization and preserve collective memory. History clearly demonstrates that no society has progressed without the transmission of written knowledge. The book was the first medium that allowed thought to move beyond geographical boundaries and across generations. If we speak of tradition, we must recognize that tradition signifies continuity in historical wisdom, not intellectual rigidity. In fact, reading is a means of overcoming stagnation and entering the domain of active human thought.
All major scientific and intellectual revolutions have emerged from books. Galileo, Kant, Avicenna, Farabi, Descartes, Newton, Marx, Darwin, Russell, Popper, Habermas, Hannah Arendt, Morteza Motahhari, Allameh Tabatabaei, and hundreds of other thinkers transformed the modern world through their books — not through social media posts. This observation does not imply rejecting or ignoring new media; rather, it underscores the fundamental distinction between technological bias and human-centered thinking.
Technological transformations are both valuable and necessary. However, a common error in the digital age is technological obsession and the illusion of knowledge created by immersion in technology — the belief that technological tools can replace thinking itself. Such a misconception can intensify information gaps and lead to a burdensome form of ignorance. Reading books, whether in print or digital form, remains a gradual and profound process that fosters structured and meaningful understanding.
Information consumption on social media is largely superficial, fragmented, and emotionally driven. While technology can increase the speed of information transmission, it cannot guarantee the quality of comprehension. For this reason, UNESCO, the International Federation of Library Associations, and even global forums focused on artificial intelligence continue to recognize reading literacy and deep reading as essential skills for the twenty-first century.
Reading books is, ultimately, an exercise in thinking. From the perspective of cognitive science, sustained reading enhances concentration, strengthens memory, deepens conceptual analysis, and improves problem-solving abilities. Such depth of understanding cannot be achieved through hurried and fragmented information consumption. In a world where information is fluid, rapid, and often shallow, a call for deep reading is, above all, a defense of intellectual independence.

Iran daily