Do you have a reading list? How books are dying a slow death

Do you like to read? What was the last book you read?

These questions were often used as conversation starters. However, now these questions are rarely asked — just as the practice of reading also wanes across the world. Survey after survey across the globe reveals a worrying trend that the art of reading is dying a slow death.

But what’s behind the death of books? How bad is this situation? And are governments doing anything to rectify it?

The world’s reading crisis

In country after country, reading levels have dipped with children and adults alike replacing books with screen time.

In the US, those reading for pleasure have declined by 40 per cent in the past 20 years. Only 16 per cent of Americans age 15 and over read for leisure every day in 2023, according to a study from researchers at the University of Florida and University College London. This is a dip from 28 per cent in 2003.

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The situation is no different in the United Kingdom. The National Literacy Trust revealed that reading for fun among children and young people in the UK has fallen to its lowest level in two decades. Of girls aged eight to 18, 39.1 per cent said they enjoyed reading in their free time, compared with 25.7 per cent of boys.

Denmark is the same. A 2021 survey found that reading proficiency among fourth-grade students in Denmark had declined, with almost 25 per cent considered “weak” readers who struggled to, for example, read between the lines or read critically.

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In India, only 34.6 per cent of children aged eight to 18 enjoy reading in their free time while in Japan a 2024 survey revealed that 63 per cent of those surveyed don’t read books anymore. A report by the European and International Book Federation found that only 64 per cent of Australians bought a book in the past year.

Perhaps, the only country to still not experience this reading crisis is China. A survey showed that the overall reading habit among Chinese adults stood at 81.9 per cent in 2023. It showed that 58.9 per cent of Chinese adults were reading. Moreover, among Chinese minors, the overall reading rate was 86.2 per cent, up by two percentage points from the previous year.

Factors behind the slow death of reading

But what’s causing this decline in the reading habit? Most authors and child experts suggest that extensive screen time — be it on the mobile phone or binge watching shows and movies — and more time spent at work because of economic pressure are the main factors causing this dip in page turning.

Most experts pointed to the proliferation of digital distractions to be one of the biggest factors in the decline of reading. People, including children, are spending more hours on their mobile screens and tablets. Increased screen time has also led to a modification in reading preferences; today, most want to consume information in bite-sized pieces through apps and websites. This has led to people putting down their books.

The number of digital platforms and streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and others have also revolutionised how audiences engage with content, offering unparalleled access to an extensive selection of series and movies that promote marathon viewing.

And as binge-watching increases, book reading is slipping.

Besides the digital distractions available, there’s also the issue of shorter attention spans. The digital age has resulted in reduced attentional capacity making reading intimidating to those used to instant fixes because it requires patience and a longer attention span.

Reading levels are also decreasing as result of the changes in the educational system. As students are under pressure to concentrate on particular subjects and skills considered crucial for testing, it frequently leaves little room for nurturing a love of reading.

The decline in reading can also be blamed on our fast lives with hectic schedules. Many people, who used to read, complain that between work commitments, family time, and other obligations, reading is sacrificed.

Some also note that economic factors could also be driving people from reading. Books can be expensive, and in many developing countries, access to affordable reading material is limited. In fact, in the US, a study found that those with higher incomes were more likely to spend time reading each day.

Moreover, libraries are becoming scarcer owing to a lack of patronage. For instance, a 2023 study in rural India found that over 60 per cent of the children had no access to a public library. Having fewer libraries means that readers have fewer opportunities to interact with books and form a reading habit.

Fighting the reading slump

Can this trend be reversed though?

Many countries across the world are trying to get children to read. In the US and the UK, schools are restricting the use of phones in schools. Many American states have banned the use of phones in schools. Even Germany has banned children from using their phones in school.

Some governments have also initiated reading challenges to make reading cool again. They are launching viral hashtags to get children and adults to read. There are ‘reading missions’ that seek to inculcate the habit of reading in children.

The United Arab Emirates, in 2016, even instituted a law to make “reading a daily habit”. As per the national law of reading, government staff would be allotted time at work to read — although they must focus on reading matter about professional and personal development within the context of the workplace. The law also obliged coffee shops to offer reading material for their customers.

In Denmark, the government has sought another way to tackle the reading problem. The Danish government has announced it will abolish a 25 per cent sales tax on books in an effort to combat a “reading crisis”.

The culture minister, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, was quoted as saying, “This is something that I, as minister of culture, have worked for, because I believe that we must put everything at stake if we are to end the reading crisis that has unfortunately been spreading in recent years.”

The joy of reading

But why all this focus on reading? What benefits does one derive from reading?

While many consider reading as a leisure activity, it is an exercise for the mind. Just as we work out our muscles, our brains too need to be challenged routinely, and to get practice focusing.

Neuroscience also suggests that reading impacts our minds and rewires its functions for better thinking. It also improves our emotional quotient. As Daisy Fancourt, a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London, told the New York Times, “Even though reading is often thought of as more of an individual activity, when we read stories, we actually form connections with characters.

“The empathy that we feel for them is actually real, and these connections with characters can be ways that we can feel less alone, that we can feel socially and emotionally validated.”

For all of this, let’s incorporate reading into our daily routine: brush your teeth, eat well, exercise, and read widely.

With inputs from agencies