The percentage of people who read daily for pleasure has dropped by 40% over the past twenty years, according to a new study published last Wednesday in the journal iScience.
اضافة اعلان
The study, which focused on reading habits among participants in the United States between 2003 and 2023, showed a consistent decline at a rate of about 3% annually.
African Americans, people with low income or education levels, and residents of rural areas represented the largest drop in reading rates—highlighting a growing gap in access to reading, according to the study.
The importance of reading for pleasure lies in many reasons, including developing critical thinking and empathy.
Experts believe that there are tools and opportunities that can help revive reading, led by the popularity of romance, fantasy, and mystery novels, according to CNN Arabic.
Although the overall trend shows a decline in reading for fun, there are positive signs, such as the widespread popularity of book series, book clubs, and book-related discussions on social media.
Fiction—especially romance, fantasy, and mystery—has seen a significant surge in popularity, which points to two main strategies for encouraging reading: finding what you love, and building a community around it, according to Sybil Wallace, former CNN editor and now Executive Editor at Goodreads, a platform that helps readers track their reading and exchange recommendations.
You might enjoy a romance novel, a lengthy history book, a business title, or literary fiction—whatever you enjoy reading, it will benefit you, she said.
In many ways, reading is like a “workout for the brain,” according to Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education and Co-Director at the Center for Literacy and Social Justice at the Open University in the UK.
How to Build Good Habits in 5 Steps
Cremin pointed out that reading requires deep critical thinking and also helps develop what’s known as “cognitive patience,” or the ability to focus for extended periods.
She added that immersing yourself in alternative worlds, histories, cultures, and experiences through fictional characters can help cultivate empathy and compassion.
While recreational reading enhances cognitive abilities, it’s also beneficial for relaxation and stress relief, said Dr. Jill Sonke, co-author of the study and Senior Research Fellow in American cultural policy at Stanford University. She is also Co-Director of the EpiArts Lab, a research initiative under the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with University College London and the University of Florida.
Sonke, who is also Director of Research Initiatives and a Research Professor at the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, explained that this impact is especially important in the digital age, where people are under pressure and have limited free time.
She added that books are widely available and easy to access, making them a valuable means of engaging with arts and culture. Libraries and digital resources are often more accessible than galleries or theaters.
Cremin said:
"Reading offers an escape from daily life, allowing you to relax and immerse yourself in other worlds."
Reading Is Fundamental for Children
Cremin emphasized that one effective way to raise young readers is to be a reader yourself.
She said:
"When adults place themselves in the role of the reader, my research shows that they demonstrate to children the value and joy that reading brings into their own lives, and invite them into that world."
Fortunately, the study did not show a sharp decline in reading rates among children—but families aren’t reading together enough, according to Sonke.
Among more than 236,000 people surveyed, 20% had children under the age of 9 at home, but only 2% reported reading with their children.
Sonke added:
"We know that reading to children is linked to preparing them for literacy, early learning readiness, and future reading success." Of course, these educational effects are critical—especially as we enter the age of artificial intelligence.
But education is not the only reason why reading is important for kids.
Cremin explained that children’s enjoyment of reading is vital in addressing social disparities. The new study showed that by 2023, daily reading was 49% lower among African Americans compared to white individuals.
How Do We Make Reading "Trendy" Again?
While it’s important for the education system to increase access to books in schools via libraries, there are also steps families can take at home, Cremin noted.
She said:
"Don’t hesitate to use audiobooks or eBooks if they’re more accessible, and set aside phone-free time so family or friends can gather and read side by side."
If you haven’t yet found a genre you like, try drawing inspiration from movies, series, or other cultural elements you enjoy—and look for books that align with those interests, according to Wallace.
No matter what you enjoy reading, chances are there’s a community of people who love it too. This is key to building a lasting reading habit.
Whether you meet with friends or engage with fellow readers on social media platforms, seek out people you can connect with through books, Wallace said.
