Why Young People are Reading Less and How we can Change it

Why Young People are Reading Less – and 4 Ways we can Reverse the Trend

January 7, 2026

The Decline in Volitional Reading report, released last month from the National Institute of Education in Singapore, has been published in response to a global downward trend in young people’s engagement with reading.

Alongside international data from both the PiRLS¹ (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) and PISA², recent Australian data has shown that one in three Australian children can not read proficiently, and that 29% of teens are choosing not to read for pleasure at all.

The new report puts forward four key factors that are likely driving the global decline in recreational reading. As a teacher, literacy advocate and mum, we offer practical, high-level ideas for how schools, families, and communities can support young people’s reading.

Lack of reading role models

The report states that “without adult reading role models in homes, schools and wider society, it is likely children will find it harder to develop the reading habit”. This correlates with recent Australian research which showed that those teenagers who read more frequently had a higher proportion of parents who were regular readers.

How can we change this?

In order to reverse this trend, we need more adults to be visibly engaged with recreational reading and actively modelling this love to the next generation. This includes raising awareness with parents, caregivers and educators about the influence they have in shaping young people’s reading attitudes and behaviours. We also need more dedicated reading role models in schools ~ through designated teacher-librarian roles, and school principals placing value on reading at the highest level. I discuss this with staff when I visit schools and when invited on podcasts – let students see a novel on a teacher’s desk, invite staff to share their current book (a 2-minute video share is very powerful) and communicate a school culture of reading.

Digital media damaging attention spans

“Access to and extensive use of digital media continues to impact upon children’s recreational reading, creating an appetite for instant gratification that competes for their time and attention,” the researchers write. Furthermore, “scholars argue that sustained surface skimming is reducing our cognitive patience and ability to tolerate ambiguity and engage in deep reading and reflection, orienting us towards consuming rather than understanding texts.”