Fear of Reading During a Pandemic

For the first time, all of humanity is experiencing a fear of reading. The problem discussed here is the consequences of physical distance and social isolation in the context of the coronavirus pandemic for the vital act of reading. We are not talking about the asocialization of reading, because, according to the presumption, reading is asocial. The problem with reading today is its discrediting as an unhealthy process. Based on a two-phase survey, the profile of a "frightened reader" is depicted. The data obtained during the study were analyzed by SPSS. The conclusion is that if the fear of a pandemic is treated with non-reading, illiteracy will become the standard. The author suggests urgently rethinking media literacy in three directions: 1. Hygiene of trust: Cultivating distrust. 2. Get to know yourself. 3. Self-monitoring of the use of digital devices.This publication was made possible by a grant from the Sofia University Science Fund through the contract number 80-10-155/05.04.2021