The draft of the children’s stories written by Fanana Farnam, “Roshan Khaap Roshan Katha”, was a source of joy and pride for me. These stories not only provide great lessons and entertainment for children, but the messages in them reflect important aspects of life.
One thing that particularly struck me when I read these stories was that they were very short. This caught my attention because children’s stories have always been written with detail, but hearing Finana’s response that “kids today have a very short attention span” made me realize that I was forced to wonder if children’s attention spans have really shrunk so much these days. And if so, what is the impact?
“Today’s kids are immersed in a variety of activities,” Finana said. Smartphones, tablets, video games, social media and other digital mediums have influenced their lives so much that their attention is quickly diverted, everything they do becomes faster and faster. There is noise.
Most of their lives have the presence of a screen, which repeatedly divides their attention between different things. Have children’s attention spans really decreased that much? And what are its effects?
The first question that came to my mind was whether children’s attention span has really decreased so much. We find the answer to this question in the current social and technological changes. A few decades ago, stories were an important medium for children that not only ignited their imagination but also played an important role in moral training of their characters.
Books used to have intricate plots and descriptions of the emotional depth of each character that created a picture in children’s minds, but now technology dominates children’s lives to such an extent that books have been replaced by video games and content on social media. . All these things have shaped the attention of children in a new way.
Nowadays there is competition for children’s attention in various ways. In the form of smartphones, computers, tablets and televisions, they are getting the source of entertainment and information that has become the focus of their attention.
Through these mediums, children are provided with colorful and engaging content that keeps their minds constantly active. The flow of information through the internet and social media is so overwhelming that it becomes difficult for children to stay focused. This is why they do not find the depth and continuity in books and stories that were considered necessary for children in the past.
The second aspect of this question is whether this change should be considered negative. Some experts believe that if children are losing their attention span, it can be detrimental to their mental development.
Reading books is a practice that improves mental peace and enhances creativity. The more detail, emotion, and complexity children get in books, the more their brains develop, while reading or watching content on a screen doesn’t have as much of an impact. The constant change of screen notifications and other factors do not keep the attention of children, which negatively affects their brain development.
Books are not only a source of entertainment for children but also an important source of character building. Books introduce children to a new world by introducing them to different cultures, emotions and experiences. It ignites their imagination and develops their mental skills, if children do not get the opportunity to read such stories, their imagination may be limited and they may start seeing the world only from a certain angle. are
Another important question here is whether screen reading can be a substitute for reading books. The answer to this question is complex, although information can be accessed on screen and educational materials are available for children, the book experience is different.
Reading something on screen is a process where the reader’s attention is repeatedly distracted. In contrast, reading a book is a consistently deep and personal experience in which the reader willingly pauses, thinks deeply, and immerses himself in the characters of the story.
Now let’s talk about whether the trend of children’s decreasing attention span is a natural result or a temporary change? To say that this is just a temporary trend would be a stretch from the truth. Given the advancement of technology and its impact on children, it seems unlikely that the trend of shrinking attention spans will end.
Instead we have to recognize this fact and change the means of education and entertainment for children accordingly. We have to provide stories and content for children that keep their interest while also keeping their attention.
Fanana Farnam’s “Bright Dream Bright Stories” is one such step that offers a solution to the problem of children’s waning attention spans. These stories are not only short and interesting, but also contain depth and lessons. In these stories, Finana has taken into consideration that today’s child’s attention can be distracted very quickly, so these stories are made short and attractive so that children will read them with interest and learn from them.
This book comes in an age where children’s attention spans have shortened, but it shows that good and important messages can be delivered in less time, if children’s stories are short, interesting and impactful. If so, they can make their place in the hearts of children and attract them towards studies.
I wish this work of Fanana Farnam all the best, and I hope that her hard work and creativity will lead the way in the form of this book and bring a new light to children’s literature.
