This is a free excerpt from one of Shortform’s Articles. We give you all the important information you need to know about current events and more.
Don't miss out on the whole story. Sign up for a free trial here .
How often do you read books? What are the benefits of reading literature? Why are fewer Americans reading now than ever before?
In the US, the decline of reading rates across all age groups can be seen, threatening cognitive development and civic engagement. Experts say literary reading could virtually disappear within 50 years, changing how future generations process information and participate in civic life.
Here’s why fewer people are reading and how the trend could impact society.
Reading Rates Are Plummeting
Reading in America has reached a historic low, with less than half of adults now reading literature. The decline is accelerating—from 5% to 14% per decade since 1992—suggesting a transformation deeper than typical generational shifts in media habits.
Neuroscientists have found that “deep reading”—sustained immersion in texts that requires focused attention and mental effort—develops critical thinking and self-reflection abilities unattainable through skimming or reading brief passages. These cognitive skills are essential for processing complex information in every area of adult life. The ability to engage with long-form text isn’t just about academic success—it’s crucial for understanding nuanced issues in politics, policy, and personal decision-making.
Reading’s benefits extend beyond individual capability. People who read literature are more likely to volunteer and participate in charity and community events. In addition, a well-read public is essential for democracy to function, as citizens need to understand complex issues and diverse perspectives to make informed decisions to participate meaningfully in civic life.
Who’s Reading Less and Why
Reading has declined across all groups, but the drop is particularly dramatic among young people, who are growing up in a fundamentally different media environment than previous generations. In a typical high school classroom of 30 students today, 12 won’t read a single book for pleasure all year—compared to just three students in 1976.
The decline continues into higher education. College students who once handled 30 pages of reading per class now find anything over 10 pages challenging; and the number of books that aspiring graduate degrees holders read annually has dropped from eight to less than four.
Technology and Policies
The shift away from reading began with broader changes in entertainment. By 2002, consumer spending on electronic entertainment had grown from 6% to 24% of recreation budgets, while book spending remained stagnant at 6%. But the steepest decline came after 2012, when smartphones and social media became ubiquitous. Teens now spend five hours daily on platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, replacing time once spent on homework, in-person socializing, and sleep.
Educational policies have compounded the problem. When schools shifted from phonics to “balanced literacy,” students lost the ability to sound out unfamiliar words, fragmenting their reading experience. Common Core standards further transformed reading instruction by pushing schools to prioritize standardized test performance for funding. This led teachers to replace longer readings and full books with the kind of short passages found on tests.
| Deep vs. Shallow Reading In his book The Shallows, Nicholas Carr describes how the shift from concentrated reading to skimming has altered the media landscape as a whole. While internet use has actually increased the amount of time we spend reading every day, that reading is now largely in the “shallow” category. Traditional publishers now tailor their content to presentation styles similar to what people experience online, either by inserting hyperlinks into e-books or by trimming lengthy news articles down to more rapidly consumable chunks. What the internet hasn’t impacted is TV time, which means that it’s increased our daily screen time at the cost of printed books, magazines, and newspapers. |
A Cultural Shift
While many see reading’s decline as laziness or technology addiction, the shift reflects a deeper transformation in how success and knowledge are valued today. Many students see a world where success comes from luck, connections, and hype rather than knowledge or effort. Social media reinforces this message by portraying corporate jobs as primarily about lifestyle—showing rooftop meetings and team lunches rather than focused intellectual work. Universities further this perception by marketing degrees as paths to earnings while embracing corporate recruitment and influencer culture.
The manner in which we read is also transforming our relationship to written material: Today’s readers increasingly consume text in scattered moments across different formats—listening to audiobooks during commutes, scanning e-books in coffee lines, switching to desktop screens at work. And phones’ physical design—from brightly colored tappable screens to notification alerts—conditions us to interact with text through quick, repetitive actions, making it harder to maintain sustained attention on unfamiliar texts and easier to fall into habitual browsing patterns.
| Deciding What to Read If you want to get back into reading but you’re not sure where to start, the authors of 10 Days to Faster Reading suggest choosing your reading material carefully. The authors note that you can get more out of your reading by being selective about what you read, so they share some tips on how to choose a book to read. Before you begin reading any text, the authors suggest identifying why you want to read it and how you might use the information in the text later on. Your “why” for reading something will vary from text to text. For example, you might read a book about procrastination to learn strategies for making better use of your time. This information could help you further your professional goals and feel less stressed about getting everything done. Or, you might read a fantasy novel purely for enjoyment—the story expands your imagination and helps you relax. Assessing a text before you begin ensures that you don’t waste any time reading material that isn’t useful to you. Additionally, this process helps with focus and efficiency. When you start with a clear “why,” it’s easier to keep your attention on the text in pursuit of your goal. When you’re paying closer attention, you don’t reread or daydream as much, so you get through the text faster and comprehend it better. |
Looking Ahead
Experts say that if current trends continue, literary reading could vanish as a leisure activity within 50 years, fundamentally changing how future generations process information and ideas. The shift is already evident, as college students increasingly select “professionally useful” majors over those centered on literature.
Want to fast-track your learning? With Shortform, you’ll gain insights you won't find anywhere else .
Here's what you’ll get when you sign up for Shortform :
- Complicated ideas explained in simple and concise ways
- Smart analysis that connects what you’re reading to other key concepts
- Writing with zero fluff because we know how important your time is
