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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

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Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Why India’s young would rather pay for a crowd than sit quietly in a library

In trying to modernise the idea of a 'third space', Gen Z has forgotten the original ones altogether. Libraries, parks, and museums were about coexistence without expectation, which went beyond productivity or leisure.

If I’m ever looking for a place to work or read, my first instinct is a nearby cafe, not a library. Not because libraries have disappeared or become inaccessible, but because somewhere along the way, they have slipped out of our collective imagination. For many urban Gen Z, the idea of going to a library feels outdated; functional, yes, but not desirable.

Instead, we’ve recreated the library in fragments, scattered across cafes. Book clubs meet over iced lattes, panel discussions unfold between espresso refills, and reading hours are tucked into aesthetically pleasing corners with curated playlists filling in the silence. In trying to modernise the idea of a “third space,” we may have forgotten the original ones altogether. Libraries, parks, and museums were about coexistence without expectation, which went far beyond productivity or leisure. But now even leisure has become........

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