British playwright Tom Stoppard says books are at risk of being “swept away” by a world of new technology and moving images that are increasingly winning the competition for children’s attention, Reuters reports. Stoppard, who has written for television, radio, and film, also warned the study of humanities was being neglected in favor of science. “The printed word is no longer as in demand as when I was of the age of pupils or even at the age of the teachers teaching them,” newspapers quoted Stoppard as saying. Children live in a world of technology where the moving image takes precedence over the printed page, he said. “I think that’s to the detriment … I just don’t want the printed page to get swept away by that.” Speaking ahead of an address to an education charity established by the Prince of Wales to encourage teachers to look at what they should teach and how, Stoppard said teaching of humanities had been affected by a drive to prioritize science-based subjects. The author plays like “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” and “The Real Thing” said children have access to a better curriculum than ever before, covering young authors and playwrights, but he insisted that more awareness was needed to ensure the subject was appealing…