<h1>Digital Media Threatens Children's Love for Storybooks; Only 34.6% Enjoy Reading in Free Time, Survey Finds.</h1> Storybooks have long been essential in nurturing children's emotional intelligence, creativity, and cognitive development. However, the rise of digital media is diminishing children's engagement with books. A 2024 survey in India showed only 34.6% of children aged 8 to 18 enjoy reading in their free time. Fiction books are crucial for developing creativity, critical thinking, empathy, focus, and resilience. Efforts to revive reading habits include government initiatives and collective actions by parents and educators. By fostering a love for reading, children can become imaginative, empathetic, and cognitively capable individuals amidst the digital age's challenges.