In just two decades, America’s love for reading has crumbled. Why does it matter, and how can we reclaim the habit that shapes minds and hearts?



In just 20 years, from 2003 to 2023, the share of Americans who read for pleasure fell 40%. This despite the definition of reading being defined broadly enough to include books, magazines and newspapers whether in print, electronic or audio form.

This matters.

According to the researchers from University College London and the University of Florida, who examined the data from the American Time Use Study:

Extensive research has explored the benefits of reading, from direct gains in comprehension skills, vocabulary, logical reasoning, imagination, emotional intelligence and empathy, to links with academic achievement, financially rewarding employment, career growth, and involvement in civic life. Reading may also promote health, reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, supporting better sleep and slowing cognitive decline in older adults, as well as increasing longevity.

The study did not attempt to answer the question of why Americans were reading less, though they did put out some suggestions—such as increased use of social media and more time spent at work.

I love to read. As a young boy, I can remember devouring Ellery Queen mysteries on long vacation drives; taking a hot bath and reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder; curling up in the bay window of a local library as cascades of rain dripped down the glass with a harrowing tale of Blackbeard the Pirate. I still have the copy of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, worn from countless readings, given to me on my 12th birthday by my grandmother. To this moment, the perfect day is one with a sky full of dark and heavy clouds, promising a furious storm or inches of snow, with a fire in the fireplace and a book waiting to be devoured by my side.

But what if you have fallen out of this love or, more likely, fallen out of the practice of reading for pleasure?

Jancee Dunn at the New York Times sat down with a group of librarians and pulled together their advice.

Set aside regular time. At the very least, take a book with you. When you might normally reach for your phone while in a waiting room or on the bus, instead reach for the book. When at home, have a designated reading spot – a porch or comfortable chair – and pair it with something you enjoy, like a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

Reread something you love. If you are out of practice, start with an old favorite. We watch movies we like more than once, why not a book? Remind yourself just how much fun a good book can be.

Listening counts. Yes, audiobooks count. Listening is just another way to enjoy literature. There have even been studies that find no significant difference in reading comprehension and retention when subjects read physical books and listened to audiobooks. Some even go back and forth between audiobooks and physical books in a single “reading.” And after all, many of us first began our love for books when someone read one to us.

Know when to move on. One of the quickest ways to douse a love for reading is to start a book, find out you don’t particularly like it, yet feel a legalistic compulsion to slog through and finish it anyway. Some follow the “rule of 50.” If you’re under the age of 50, you should give every book about 50 pages before you quit. If you’re older than that, subtract your age from 100 to see how many pages to read before setting it aside. The point is to feel free to put down a book you do not like and keep picking another one up until you do.

However, you rekindle your love for reading, rekindle it.

Even if it’s on a kindle.

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