Bengaluru: With the tech capital ushering in NY-2026, youngsters are quietly rewriting the rulebook on resolutions. While the thumping party plans and dramatic “New year, new me” declarations stay, what is surprising is the new resolve: Renewed love for reading!When TOI caught up with youth on Church Street-Brigade Road-MG Road, the epicentre of New Year celebrations, they said they aim to shed the ‘screenager’ tag by applying the brakes to endless scrolling. In fact, many came up with thoughtful and refreshingly honest goals, which included clearing exam backlogs and popping Vitamin D pills, too.
“We just want to grow humble and kind, and wake up early,” said students Lakshya and Adnin while choosing to discipline this year as their board exams near. Some are mixing tradition with manifestation. “We’re trying something new, eating grapes under the table and manifesting a girls’ trip to Paris,” laughed best friends Pooja and Pragathi.Another student, Nisarga, said: “Right now, my only resolution is to clear my backlogs.” Health goals too found a quirky turn when NRI Aadit said: “I will be taking Vitamin D pills and I am planning to run every day.” A few others said their New Year’s resolutions included cafe-hopping, learning AI, landing internships, and chilling at house parties. However, one thing everyone had as their strongest and most important resolve was to restart the habit of reading. “We get newspapers in our college; I will start paying more attention to the news. I cannot afford to take a plunge into the professional world by indulging in doomscrolling,” said final year management student Rohit Bharadwaj.Whether it is daily news, fiction, self-help or career-focused books, many young Bengalureans say they want to cut down on screen time and rediscover the joy of reading, proving that even in a digital-first world, newspapers and books still hold a special place.Inset with mugshotsWhy are youngsters falling in love with reading?Akshaya Ramnath, IT employee: “My grandmother and mother were avid readers, and I was inspired by them. When I read Sydney Sheldon’s Tell me your dreams, a book about multiple personality disorder, it was an eye-opener, as I had never known about such things; I was stunned. Right now, I am reading a lot of self-help books. This time, I will choose some fiction, as I am bored with the nonfiction I am reading. I would also suggest others to pick up reading; beginners can start with thrillers and fiction, as they would keep you engaged for a long time.“Anahita Arun, 8, student of Greenwood High: “I actually love reading over watching on my mobile phone. I started reading with Ten little fingers and ten little toes and now I am reading Ella Diaries. I want to read more in the new year.” Her family said reading is helping her visualise and think outside the box.Arijit Nayak, a first-year MBBS student from Nandi Medical College and Research Institute, Chikkaballapura: “I don’t want to waste my time doomscrolling; I will intensify my reading habits. In fact, the Vinland Saga series by Manga had a huge impact on my approach towards life and how to face problems. Reading has helped me work on myself and stay motivated.”Gaganashree Potta, event manager and co-founder of the Hashtag Hype Events: “I had begun my reading journey while in school, but wasn’t very consistent. Now I have picked up reading and will continue in the new year. I felt the need for an escape of sorts, and reading allowed me to step away from reality for a while. Reading gives me a sense of safety and comfort. Over time, books became my happy place — a space where I felt calm, secure and at ease.“Reya Sharma, techie: “I don’t view reading books as milestones or turning points, reading has pushed me into thinking-mode and been impactful. There are a lot of books that have left a mark on me. Political thoughts and ideas, history, and social realities are some of my favorite genres. I often read the writings related to Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar, returning to them for perspective rather than answers. I will read more this year.“Manjeet Parmar, an IT engineer: “Reading made me fall in love with books. It shifted my mindset from wanting to finish a story to just being in love with the story. Reading slowly stopped being about endings and became about staying with the narrative. Reading humanizes stories and people in a way we usually don’t see.”Abhishek Bal, student at BMS College of Engineering: “I picked up reading not out of habit or discipline, but out of boredom during the Covid-19 lockdown. With time to spare and very little structure to days, reading slowly entered my routine. My interest soon leaned towards business and economics, areas that matched the way I already thought about the world. I am drawn to books that explore money, systems, and the forces that shape everyday decisions. Reading is less about escape and more about understanding how things function beneath the surface. What began as a way to pass time during lockdown has now become a way for me to make sense of larger economic and business ideas, connecting theory with the realities around me.”Meghana P, employee at an infertility clinic: “Reading has started changing my perspective. One of the first books I read was The Forest of Enchantments and what stayed with me was not the epic Ramayana itself but how Sita’s voice was made central. I would want to read more to understand energy, religion and spirituality.” —- By Ganavi R & Shriya S
