Digital media threatening book culture, says Marulasiddappa at Dasara literary event

Senior writer and thinker K. Marulasiddappa has said the growing dominance of digital media is threatening book culture, affecting the publishing industry and the reading habits of younger generations.

Speaking after inaugurating the Kannada Book Authority’s 2025 annual awards and book prize endowment awards presentation ceremony here on Friday, he said book culture, once an integral part of households, was gradually disappearing with the advent of digital media.

Earlier, homes had large collections of books, but today young people could carry thousands of books on a single Kindle device. While digital platforms offered convenience, the trend was causing considerable losses to printers, publishers and authors, he said.

Preserving book culture was a collective responsibility, and the media had an important role to play in this regard. Highlighting the contribution of librarians in promoting reading habits, he suggested that the authority institute an award to recognise their services.