Iraqi author warns cultural awareness gap is reshaping youth behavior

An Iraqi writer has argued that a growing cultural awareness crisis is affecting a significant share of the country's young people, with consequences he compares to those of Iraq's economic and political struggles. In an essay, Zeyd Nasir Kaid al-Atabi attributes the problem not to a lack of intelligence or talent, but to how young people spend their time and a weakening ability to make conscious choices. Al-Atabi says short-form videos and rapid social media sharing have become the main source of information for many young Iraqis, while book reading, in-depth analysis and critical thinking have receded. He warns that this shift leaves young people more receptive to questionable information and emotional rhetoric, feeding a cycle that touches electoral decisions, institutional weakness, unemployment and corruption. The author also points to an education system still built largely on memorization and imitation, and to media content driven by consumption rather than reflection. Citing Singapore, South Korea and Japan, he argues that development depends primarily on an educated and aware population rather than natural resources. Al-Atabi concludes that addressing the crisis requires structural education reform, a rethink of media content and a digital-era cultural awareness project tailored to Iraqi youth. No further details on publication or the author's affiliation were immediately available.