During our university years, there was a strong culture among students of our generation of collecting and reading reference books alongside textbooks. To prepare quality assignments or research papers on a particular subject, we would spend long hours in libraries, read books by different authors comparatively, and even try to obtain books from abroad when necessary. Books were regarded as an indispensable means of gaining a deeper understanding of any subject.
In today’s digital age, a significant change in this picture has become apparent.
The vast opportunities offered by information technology have undoubtedly opened up new horizons in education. Yet, an unintended consequence is also becoming increasingly evident.
Among many students, the tendency towards selective reading and studying driven by immediate needs has grown at the expense of sustained and in-depth reading. Instead of collecting and studying printed books, they increasingly rely on PDFs and brief online resources.
Even when preparing assignments, many students try to complete their work in a short time by using ChatGPT or other AI-powered academic tools rather than searching through books, verifying information, and conducting their own analysis.
Although these tools can be valuable aids to research and education, excessive reliance on them without proper verification often leads to factual inconsistencies, weak analysis, and a lack of depth in the subject matter. At the same time, the natural development of independent thinking, creativity, and original research skills is seriously hindered.
The steady decline in students’ habits of reading and buying books is not merely a crisis of individual reading habits; it is also a significant challenge for the broader culture of knowledge and publishing.
A healthy publishing environment depends fundamentally on its readers. When the number of both readers and book buyers begins to decline, the proper recognition and appreciation of authors’ creative labour are also undermined. As a result, many researchers and writers gradually lose the motivation to devote considerable time to producing original books. Publishers, likewise, become less willing to publish books than they once were.
Today, in many cases, authors must wait a long time after submitting a manuscript to a publisher. Publishers are particularly reluctant to undertake research-based, extensive, or high-cost publishing projects because of the financial risks involved. If this situation persists over the long term, the possibility that the scope for original research and quality publishing will continue to shrink cannot be dismissed.
Under these circumstances, some promising and original writers are losing their enthusiasm for long-term research and book writing. At the same time, declining readership and book sales are forcing many publishing houses to confront serious challenges to their very survival.
Maintaining continuity in the pursuit of knowledge depends greatly on the interdependence of three pillars: capable authors, discerning readers, and enterprising publishers. If any one of these pillars weakens, the entire ecosystem of knowledge suffers.
The process of writing itself has also undergone noticeable changes. In the past, preparing an original research-based book of around 200 pages often took more than a year. This was because the process involved extensive reading, information gathering, comparative analysis, repeated reconsideration, and a lengthy editorial process.
Today, with the assistance of various AI-powered tools, a book of comparable length can be prepared in considerably less time. This technological advantage is certainly positive. However, if it begins to replace in-depth study, independent thinking, and original analysis, it risks undermining the quality of research and writing.
In many cases, the tendency to compile material by collecting, rearranging, and copying and pasting information from various sources is growing at the expense of original thought, independent analysis, and independent research.
If this trend continues, the very foundations of originality, creativity, and in-depth engagement with knowledge may gradually weaken over the long term.
A similar transformation can be observed in translation. In the past, producing a high-quality translation required considerable proficiency in both the source and target languages. Today, AI-powered translation technologies can produce fluent translations in a short time. Although this has made translation faster and more accessible, neglecting the need for linguistic practice and skill development may, in the long run, undermine language proficiency, sensitivity to vocabulary and meaning, and stylistic competence.
Technological advancement is undoubtedly a great blessing for us. When technology is used as an aid to the pursuit of knowledge, it can enrich education and research.
But when it becomes a substitute for deep reading, original thinking, and the disciplined effort of creative work, its negative effects may become increasingly apparent over time—in individuals, educational systems, and knowledge-based societies alike.
Therefore, reviving the culture of reading books, building personal book collections, engaging in in-depth study, and cultivating critical thinking is now an important imperative of our time.