The key to achieving knowledge and success is determination and commitment to whatever one has tasked oneself to do. Are the youth interested in increasing their intelligence? Then read! Reading is the foundation of all intelligence. Indeed, the youth can achieve anything they want once they set their mind to it. The secret may have a deeper understanding that success thrives on hard work and a never-giving-up attitude. Determination, commitment and self-discipline cannot be eschewed in the journey towards academic success.

To achieve excellence in one’s academic life, there is the need to spend more time on reading. Napoleon Hill once wrote in his book: ‘The Master Key to Riches’: “one’s reading program should be as carefully planned as his/her daily diet, for that too is food; without it one cannot be mentally developed”. When reading and adopting to the techniques prescribed in a book, it will not only bring about academic fulfilment, but it will also help broaden the mental horizon of the youth such that they will begin to realise that, with the right attitude, they can command the high mountains to move into the deep sea and they will certainly obey. Nothing is beyond their reach, including reading, once they tune their mind to it.

The question is, how many of the youth really spend time reading? Not many. The majority are glued to television, cell phone, digital player and internet among others. I am not against modern technology. The thinking is that,the youth are not doing enough reading, period! Lack of time for reading has always been the excuse if not the defense for many. Much time is allocated to every other pastime, such as watching football, movies, roaming, clubbing, drinking, etc .except reading. If the youth really want to read more, then they should try cutting back on television or internet consumption. Every minute’s reduction of television or internet consumption, could be used for reading and this could create hours of book reading time. 

Up to this point, the argument is that the youth of today are spending more time watching football, movies and television. In the recent past, it was the cell phones and games and now it is the internet ,which consists mostly of opening of Facebook accounts or profiles, listening to songs on iPods,  etc. Are the youth ever going to put these gadgets aside and grab seriously their books? Nowadays, it’s simply not the same. There is nothing like holding a nice book in your hands and reading under a tree, the need to cultivate a reading habit.

For most of the youth reading habits stop or diminish when they achieve or attain their educational goals. But constant reading is very good for the brain. Newspapers can help cultivate the habit of reading but rather most of the youth prefer to use their money to buy credit for their cell phones, even if they do, it is Ebony, Showbiz, etc. that they prefer.

Reading newspapers can benefit the youth, as it educates and plays the role of a source of information and makes the youth more aware of what is happening around them. The youth can be better informed about major events both locally and internationally.

Again, the youth can read to learn new things, uplift their spirits and for entertainment. Reading a book is better than watching the most popular television program and far better than these plastic devices we waste our time on all day.

The youth can buy books and make sure they read them as an investment. You can skim through a book while waiting for the food to get cooked at the kitchen. Anytime you are reading a book you can highlight points if the book belongs to you, make margin notes as you read and also comments and notes on one of the blank pages.

A word of caution is, be mindful of what one selects to read. One becomes a product of the ideas he or she associate with the most. Reading inappropriate books can impair one’s ability to grow. The youth can read high-quality content-rich material books to enrich their brain, to broaden their horizon to better understand this world that you and I have come to inherit.

I suggest we do the following things increase the reading habits of the youth:

Firstly, government should give financial incentives to writers and publishers to increase the production of quality reading material in the country.

Secondly, libraries should be established in every town and village. Parents should also be encouraged to develop family libraries for themselves and their kids. Also, reading competition should be organised at all levels of the educational system with awards given to students who perform very well. Again, parents should encourage and see to it that their children at least read other books apart from their academic books.

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