International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES)[1] from Ljubljana, Slovenia, regularly analyses developments in the Middle East, Balkans and around the world. Ambassador Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arben Cici – diplomat, researcher and professor – in his analysis entitled “When the past is silent: The historical apathy of the younger generation and the challenge of reawakening the collective consciousness[2]” examines the younger generation’s lack of interest in history and argues that reviving historical awareness is both a cultural and social mission.
In an era dominated by fast-paced technology, seductive social networks and a constant flow of temporary information, one of the most silent victims of this modern reality is history. In nowadays, where the present rules perception and where the future is commercialized in the form of “next innovations”, history is increasingly being excluded from the horizon of the younger generation. Younger generations are increasingly distancing themselves from the past, perceiving history as distant, boring and often irrelevant to the present or the future. This exclusion is not accidental. This lack of interest is not just a cultural phenomenon. It is the result of a combination of educational, cultural and technological factors that have turned young people into consumers of instant information rather than knowledge with deep historical roots; it is an issue that fundamentally affects education, national identity and social cohesion. It is a vital test facing society, government, school and family. The question we must urgently ask is: why do young people no longer read history and what consequences does this have for a society that claims to move forward without understanding where it comes from?
Historical apathy is not simply a lack of curiosity about the past. It is defined as a lack of active interest, emotion, or commitment to knowledge, understanding, and preserving the collective experience that stems from the past of a community, nation, or even humanity as a whole. This apathy is not just a casual disregard for a school subject, but often represents a deeper distance from belonging and cultural awareness. The Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana (1905) said that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” a statement that reveals the consequences of distancing oneself from history.
Unfortunately, this feeling of apathy has become a global phenomenon and manifests itself in several forms:
Lack of basic knowledge about key historical events, non-participation in commemorative or cultural activities, avoidance of reading historical books, and the perception of history as a forced or monotonous ideology are some of the most obvious and dangerous forms of this challenging phenomenon.
This lack of interest is not spontaneous. Some of the main reasons are:
a. Changing the way of receiving information. Young people today do not learn through traditional forms of knowledge transmission. The way young people receive information has been radically transformed in the digital age. History requires time, reflection, in-depth reading and complex analysis, while modern culture promotes fast, visual and fragmented content. TikTok, Instagram or YouTube offer fragments of “fun facts” but not historical meaning. Linda M. McNeil’s studies show that the use of digital media has significantly reduced the capacity to concentrate and the willingness to read long and complex texts, including history books.
b. Traditional didactics and the lack of a motivating personal narrative. Many educational systems, including the Albanian one, continue to use teaching methods that do not match the needs, demands, tastes and interests of the digital generations. Texts are often dry, dull, without an attractive system and chronology, filled with dates and names rather than with human stories that inspire and encourage empathy and curiosity to read. To stimulate interest, history must be learned through meaningful questions and through the exploration of moral dilemmas, through interweaving with the present, not through a dry description of facts and events. (Barton & Levstik, 2004).
c. Politicization of history. When history is used and perceived as a political tool, as a narrative controlled by every ruling power, as a meaningless party debate and not as a mirror of the truth, then distrust, indifference and even disgust are formed among young people. In many cases, history is learned selectively, according to the ruling majorities, glorifying some figures and ignoring unpleasant truths. The French academic and historian Pierre Nora masterfully describes this fogging phenomenon in his masterpiece “Les lieux de mémoire”, as places of a false memory, where history becomes symbolic in the service of the national myth, not the truth.
d. The dominance of the culture of consumption and immediate hedonism. Today’s culture promotes entertainment, personal success, the reckless and adventurous model and the flamboyant, lightning-fast and instant gain, creating a permanent state of distraction, confusion and bewilderment; the opposite of historical thought and reflection that requires patience, concentration, attention and deep reasoning. This makes history perceived as useless, worthless and uninteresting for everyday life.
What are the psychological and social consequences of historical apathy?
In a society where young people do not know their history, the consequences are critical and long-lasting:
a. Erosion of identity and belonging. Young people who do not understand the history of their country have less of a sense of identity. The British historian Eric Hobsbawm emphasized that collective identity cannot exist without historical memory. Without a shared narrative, communities disintegrate into groups of isolated individuals. Without recognition of roots, a generation grows up without a sense of belonging. This weakens the sense of civic responsibility and social solidarity.
b. Failure to analyze the present. History is not simply about learning what happened, but about understanding why it happened and how disasters such as wars, discrimination, dictatorships can be avoided. Studies on historical education show that the lack of historical analysis leads to the formation of an amorphous society incapable of understanding the roots of today’s negative phenomena, such as populism, extreme nationalism and authoritarianism. This passivity becomes a new form of civic illiteracy, which endangers the quality of democracy.
c. Space for manipulation and disinformation. A generation that grows up with a lack of historical knowledge and without the necessary and in-depth historical knowledge forms an entire society that is more easily manipulated by false narratives, superficial propaganda and malicious information. It becomes more vulnerable to simulated narratives, populism and intentional misinformation, losing the essence to wander in the shallows. The historian Timothy Snyder warned that in this sense, historical education is integral to resisting disinformation and preserving a fair public environment, and that in the absence of history, myths gain power. Otherwise, it will be created what historians rightly call “digital historical illiteracy”.
This problem is not incurable and irreversible. There are several effective ways to promote historical engagement of digital generations and today's society:
a. Reforming the history curriculum. The new didactic approach should focus on critical thinking and building interest in history. The use of “conceptual history” is today one of the most successful methods in attracting the younger generation to history. This new approach helps students think like historians, not just learn like students. In this way, we can and should move from a teaching way based on memorizing facts to a narrative, analytical and human approach to history. Young people need to understand not only “what” happened, but “how” and “why” it happened.
b. Technology as a tool, not as a barrier. Virtual reality applications that simulate historical events, interactive documentaries or platforms like “Facing History and ourselves” can bring history closer to the younger generation. Using technology in a reflective way can improve the absorption of historical content. Technology can become a powerful pedagogical ally. Instead of asking to return to a world without digitalization, we should explore the possibilities that technology offers for historical interaction. Platforms like podcasts, mobile applications for museums and virtual reality can also bring history closer to the younger generation in their own language.
c. History from the community and emotional involvement. History does not only belong to emperors, political leaders, wars and peace. Personal narratives are powerful forms of education. Genocide, dictatorships, exodus, resistance, when told by survivors or family members, first-hand testimonies, have a strong effect on the consciousness of young people and consequently on the social one. The importance of the “self-narrative”, the understanding of history as a human experience, the connection between autobiography and history is a powerful tool for reawakening empathy, attention, interest and civic responsibility.
d. Activation through projects and active memory. Involving young people in projects for the restoration of places of historical value, memorials for the victims of past regimes, exhibitions or independent historical research can create personal connections with history and awaken their interest and awareness of belonging and national historical heritage. Their participation in memory projects (visits to concentration camps, memorial monuments, exhibitions) has a great impact on historical education and helps their civic formation. Historical memory is not just a matter of the commemorative calendar, but the basis for building a conscious citizenship, which refuses to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Currently in Germany, historical education on the Nazi period, on the Holocaust has become an essential part of the curriculum and is treated with authenticity, responsibility and interactive methods. To help historical education, visits to memorials and ethical discussions on the history of World War II are regularly organized. In Finland, in the methods of historical narrative, it has become the norm the promotion of open, non-narrative and purely national history, but critical and reflective one. South Korea is an example of how history can be combined with digital education and animated documentaries for young people to benefit the formation of their historical consciousness and interest in knowing the past. Wherever there is awareness of this issue; extracurricular visits are not formal, students' excursions to different cities are thematic and their trips to tourist sites are interactive engagement.
Historical education is a collective mission. The reconstruction of historical interest cannot be based only on schools. Universities, libraries, media, NGOs and parents themselves must build a spirit, a climate and an environment where history is discussed, appreciated and experienced as part of everyday life.
Unfortunately, for many reasons, parents today do not read history with their children, the media do not broadcast enough quality documentaries and educational programs, youth centers do not organize historical debates, theatre performances on historical topics, visits to museums, NGOs very rarely focus their projects on historical issues and transparency towards them.
In Albania the responsible institutions, the Ministry of Education and Sports, the relevant educational directorates, in order to regaining young people's interest in history, must return the subject of history from an inferior, almost optional, position to a priority one in the curricula of secondary education and high schools, including the graduation exam. These responsible institutions will need to be very attentive in selecting criteria, not only for the teaching staff for the history subject in these school cycles, but also for the textbooks and teaching methods. Continuously, it requires the implementation of incentive policies for students studying history in the university, their employment and specialization in the relevant fields.
Finally, history is more than the past. It is a mirror in which we can see ourselves, a tool for understanding the present and building a better future. If young people no longer read history, then we risk producing generations that do not know themselves and who are blind to the cycles of injustice, hatred and the repetition of tragedies.
“For a nation, history is not only the past, but also the path to the future. Forgetting it is identity suicide,” warns Ismail Kadare in his work “Disagreement.”
Young people are not apathetic by nature, but are the product of a society that often denies them the connection to their roots. Rebuilding the relationship with history requires more than educational reform; it requires a cultural shift, a resumption of intergenerational dialogue and a new narrative, which builds a bridge between the past, the present and the future. Reviving interest in history is also a cultural and social mission. It is not easy, but it is necessary. Because when the past is silent, the future risks speaking with the language of repeated mistakes.
About the author:
Ambassador Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arben Cici, currently lecturer of International Relations at Mediterranean University of Albania, former Ambassador of Albania to Denmark, Croatia, Russia, twice Advisor for the Foreign Policy of the President of the Republic, twice Director of the State Protocol at the Ministry of foreign Affairs, author of the Official Ceremonial of the Republic of Albania, analyst and excellent expert on the foreign policy.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect IFIMES official position.
Ljubljana/Tirana, 29 July 2025
[1] IFIMES – International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has Special Consultative status at ECOSOC/UN, New York, since 2018 and it is publisher of the international scientific journal “European Perspectives”.
[2] Delivered during the debate at the Permanent Commission of History of the Academy of Sciences of Albania.
