Original Source

A Malaysian bookstore is exploring new ideas to draw child readers back to books, away from the addictive short online videos. This initiative responds to the increasing number of children, like 9-year-old Anaqi, who spend hours watching short clips.

Spread of 'Brain Rot' Videos and Parental Concerns

In Malaysia, short, noisy online videos are automatically playing and captivating children, a phenomenon that is becoming widespread. Nine-year-old Anaqi describes these videos as 'super interesting' and notes that they appear automatically without him even searching for them. Firdaus Omar, a 39-year-old Malaysian civil servant, is concerned that his two children, Anaqi and his six-year-old brother, could spend hours watching clips commonly dismissed as 'brain rot'. He worries about the effect such short videos have on children.

Bookstore's New Strategy to Attract Readers

Amidst these concerns, a Malaysian bookstore has devised a novel idea to bring readers back to books. The initiative aims to pique the interest of children addicted to short online videos in reading. This effort seeks to divert children's attention from instant, addictive online content and help them develop reading habits.

*Source: SCMP (2026-04-04)*

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