When I read that 4 in 10 young adults think violence is necessary for change, I stopped cold. It made me wonder what happened to empathy? And what role does reading play in bringing it back?
Recently, 33,000 respondents across 28 countries took the survey known as the “Edelman Trust Barometer.” The results not only showed an increase in grievance toward the government, business, and the rich, but also an increased appetite for violence.
“Violence is necessary for change”
Four in ten respondents ages 18-34 agree that sometimes violence is necessary for change. This type of violence includes:
- attacking people online,
- intentionally spreading disinformation,
- threatening or committing violence, or
- damaging public or private property.
Only 36% of respondents believe that the next generation would experience a better future. In other words, our collective hope is bleeding out.
Could reading make a real difference?
So what can we do about all the potential and very real horror spreading across the globe?
I strongly believe libraries and bookstores may be part of the solution.
Why?
Unlike our social media channels that feed us more of what we’re already interested in based on algorithms, browsing in brick and mortar bookstores often lead us to unexpected finds. Suddenly, unexpectedly, we’re considering new ideas.
Digesting a book is a slow process, like eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant rather than McDonald’s. It requires us to think critically, and it demands taking another person’s point of view—whether that’s a nonfiction author we might disagree with, or a fictional character who is unlike anyone we’ve ever met in real life.
The bottom line is that reading can improve our ability to empathize with people different from ourselves. Reading fiction as a child can help us see the complexities of the world, so that we grow up more open-minded to differences in lifestyles and opinions.
The decline of reading and empathy: Correlation or causation?
In my book “Poof! The Disappearance of a Writer in the Age of AI,” I talked about the decline in reading in the US. Here’s an excerpt:
“In 2022, Gallup reported that American adults are reading fewer books per year at any time since the survey began in 1990, with college graduates showing the steepest decline in book readership. And while people still “read” blog posts, what they are really doing is skimming for a particular answer to a question….While the consumption of print media is on the decline, however, the YouTube audience is expected to grow by 25% over the next five years.”
I’ll add to what I wrote and say that today, Americans spend an average of 2.8 hours on social media, while most spend less than 15 minutes a day on personal reading.
So while you may feel anguish about atrocities being perpetrated at home and abroad, one thing you can do to heal yourself—and the world—is to get yourself and those you love to a bookstore.