The Necessity of Protecting Children’s Right to Knowledge in the Age of Technology
The Children and Youth Service of Iran’s Book News Agency (IBNA) – Mohammadmahdi Sayyednaseri, legal scholar, university lecturer, and researcher of international children’s rights: A book is not merely a collection of words; it is a lifeworld where a child learns how to think, feel, and give meaning to the world. The right to access books is, in fact, the right to “understand oneself and others”; the right to imagination, dialogue, and ultimately, the right to be human. However, in today’s world, where a child’s mind is besieged by images, speed, and data consumption, books have become more than ever a forgotten and sometimes luxury commodity. In a society where digital content is produced based on algorithms of profit and entertainment, the book is the only medium that can still create a moral distance between truth and clamor. Nevertheless, class disparity, digital inequality, and weak cultural infrastructures have deprived many children of their right to access books. This deprivation is not just a deprivation of reading; it is a deprivation of thinking, imagination, and the right to growth. In such circumstances, speaking about the connection between the right to books and other fundamental children’s rights is a moral and civilizational necessity, because books are the foundation for realizing a child’s right to education, cultural identity, human dignity, social participation, and even mental health. If we remove books from a child’s life, we have indeed unraveled the very fabric of their rights.
1- Books as a Cultural Right, Not a Consumer Commodity
In Iran’s legal and cultural system, books have always been part of the civilizational heritage. But in today’s market-driven environment, books are at risk of becoming a luxury commodity. Children living in deprived areas or lacking access to libraries are deprived of their most basic cultural right; and this deprivation, in turn, circularly affects their other rights. In fact, the right to books is the foundation of the right to education, mental development, and even social participation. A society where books are not accessible is a society where childhood, in its true sense, does not take shape.
2- The Digital Age and the Rise of Knowledge Inequality
With the expansion of digital technologies, it was thought that books and education would become more accessible to everyone; but the reality is the opposite. The digital divide has created new inequalities: children who lack tools, internet, or media literacy are excluded from the cycle of knowledge. Thus, the right to access books in digital format has also become a class-based issue. In the absence of supportive policies and cultural investment, electronic books and educational platforms are practically only available to specific strata. The result is that knowledge justice falls victim to the speed of technology.
3- Books and the Human Dignity of the Child
A book is not just content; it is a relationship between a child and meaning. Reading cultivates a sense of independent thought, creativity, and moral understanding in a child. From this perspective, the right to access books is part of the right to human dignity. A child deprived of books is also deprived of the right to think, question, and interpret the world. This deprivation ultimately leads to the reproduction of cycles of discrimination, violence, and inequality. Therefore, protecting a child’s right to books is, in fact, protecting the moral foundations of society.
4- Books, the Link Between the Right to Education and the Right to Identity
In the digital age, education is no longer limited to school. Dispersed educational content, sometimes with cultural and commercial biases, shapes a child’s mind. Books, however, unlike the unstable media landscape, offer a child the opportunity to encounter their cultural identity. The right to books in this sense is an extension of the right to identity; that is, a child’s right to know the language, history, and stories of their nation. In a world where local cultures are fading under the pressure of globalization and algorithms, books are the last stronghold of identity.
5- The Necessity of National Policymaking for Reading Justice
Cultural policymaking must go beyond the traditional view of “library building” and move towards digital cultural justice; that is, ensuring access for everyone to books, both print and electronic, while considering media literacy, data security, and cultural diversity.
This goal is only possible with the synergy of educational, cultural, technological, and civil institutions. Today’s child is not just a reader, but a digital citizen. Therefore, an ethical and educational bridge must be built between books and technology.
The right to books, in the digital age, is not just a cultural demand; it is the cornerstone of knowledge justice and humanity in today’s technology-driven world. Books teach a child how to hear their inner voice amidst a multitude of sounds and how to create meaning in the face of endless data. A child who does not read will not be a citizen in the future capable of discernment, critique, or choice. Therefore, defending a child’s right to access books is, in fact, defending the future of rationality and ethics in society.
A society that takes books from a child’s hands takes away the ability for dialogue from tomorrow; and a society that returns to books returns to meaning. Today we must ask ourselves: In an era where screens have replaced words, does the Iranian child still have a share of knowledge? The answer to this question is not just the duty of the government or family, but the responsibility of all who care about the future of this land, because the future of every nation begins on the first page of the book a child turns.
