Why is nobody reading?

I am an active reader myself, and I love to spend my free time reading and writing.

Though with every passing year, I tend to notice fewer people my age and younger reading...

I find it deeply troubling that teens are consuming more technology-related media instead of reading books,

Reading enhances focus, critical thinking, writing skills, expands vocabulary and boosts creativity as well. Reading is so important for cognitive health, too; it strengthens the brain and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease! Watching videos that are not educational or beneficial, also known as mindless scrolling, not only shortens one's attention span, but also disrupts sleep, causes emotional fatigue and sucks creativity out of oneself.

A study I read in school said, around 70% of teens would read more if they could find more books they liked.

And I think that is the main problem today.

Teenagers watch movies, TikToks, and YouTube because they know what kind of content they watch, what people they like and how to find it.

But see with books, that is different.

To find out if you like a book, you have to start reading it and invest time and focus.

And here’s the thing, with the ever growing phone/ipad addiction epidemic and all social media platforms having  short duration videos, teenagers and kids brains have adapted to a short attention span, leading too difficulty concentrating, sitting in class for a longer period of time, difficulty doing homework etc. and so many teens can’t commit to a book, because let's be frank, it is a commitment. Not only that, but finding a book that one finds appealing and intriguing enough to commit to, is also a challenge.

I would love for schools and cities to popularise book clubs, free book libraries, book exchanges etc. That would most definitely get more students-people into reading.

Also, in class, when the assignment is to read a book and write an essay about it, the best thing to do would be to let the students pick their own book, which will motivate them more. See, if you give a 14-year-old Dickens, Shakespeare or Austen, Most of the time, they will be bored and confused two pages in, leading to a reading slump, difficulty writing about it and leading to bad results; that doesn’t benefit anyone. If you give a 14-year-old a chance to talk about Harry Potter or Twilight, they’ll be more productive and maybe even excited for the assignment, leading to them actually learning something.

I would also like to touch on what kind of books teenagers reach for. In a study that I recently read for school, comedy and mystery take the lead as their favourite genres. It makes so much sense that teenagers and kids would prefer a book that makes them laugh, because they don’t want the books that are difficult to understand, and the ones that make them raise a brow and reread each sentence 3 times. They crave something light, fast-paced, fun; they need that serotonin, because that's what keeps them entertained and what keeps them reading. And because reading is not as colourful and action-packed as those movies and videos they watch, they need stimulation, which is why many also enjoy a mystery. Mystery and puzzle books make one think, yet help oneself escape the chaos of everyday life by disappearing into another universe’s chaos.

Overall, I think we need to start popularising books more in school and in society, because reading is so important for one's brain and overall being, especially for young minds.

We need to salvage the love and passion we have for literature and make sure the next generations are reading.

These young minds are already declining before their time, and we need to help.

How can teenagers achieve a balance between using social media and reading for pleasure?

I think the best way to manage a balance is to be self-disciplined, track the hours spent on the phone and see how much phone time one can replace with reading.

In the morning, when you wake up, you could be reading, not scrolling. Also, before bed, minimising blue light and stimulation has many benefits, so one should read before going to bed, too.

Not only will you be smarter,

Not only will you feel better,

Your brain health will thank you.

How can social media be used to raise teenagers’ interest in reading?

What I have found most beneficial for me are booktubers!

Essentially, they are YouTubers, but they read and talk about the books, watching other people read and enjoy reading motivates me to read too, and they have several times helped me get out of a book slump. So I think booktubers are doing a great job at raising interest in teenagers. This goes hand in hand with booktokers (TikTokers, who talk about books) and bookgrammers (books, people, Instagram). I recommend checking out any of the above to anyone who's stuck in a reading slump.

I also think it would be a great idea to have online reading competitions. Teenagers and adults love competing, so I think that would help get more people into reading.

What do you think? Do you read as much as you would want to? 

- Blog written by Samantiana V. 2026