Only 38% Of American Adults Still Read, But There Are A Few Ways We Can Revive Reading
Bored Panda reports that just 38% of American adults read books. The Atlantic called it “The End Of Reading Is Here,” and the numbers back that up: in the last 20 years, the share of U.S. adults who read literature has fallen by 10 percentage points, from 56.9% in 1982 to fewer than half today. That is a loss of about 20 million potential readers.
The Numbers Behind The Decline
A survey by the National Endowment for the Arts reached 17,000 people and discovered that less than half of American adults read literature. The sharpest decline affected young adults aged 18 to 34, who used to be the group most likely to read literary works but are now the least likely to do so. That is troubling.
A 1992 survey found that 61% of adults read some literature for pleasure at least once a year. By 2022, that figure dropped to 49%. The decline has been steady for 80 years, and it might continue unless someone figures out why.
Why Phones May Be The Culprit
Apple introduced the iPhone around January 2007, and that marked the start of the smartphone revolution. From that point forward, the digital world began drawing attention away from reading. Teens now spend nearly 4.8 hours a day on social media, and the simple act of scrolling through feeds has turned digital life into an attractive trap that consumes most of our time.
AN White, a reader, book reviewer, and aspiring novelist, says phone screen time is most likely at an all-time high. “Phone screen time is most likely at an all-time high, and I suspect it of being the biggest culprit,” White says. “Factors like economic status and overworking can reduce a person’s ability to enjoy any kind of hobby in their free hours, and reading is likely the first to go, given that it requires focus and active attention. Especially when the phone is right there, ready to hijack our dopamine systems for the profit of a large corporation.”
The Devices That Came Before Screens
In 1999, the Kaiser Family Foundation studied American households and found that the average American child lived in a home with 2.9 televisions, 1.8 VCRs, 3.1 radios, 2.1 CD players, 1.4 video game players, and 1 computer. Just imagine what it is like now, over two decades later, with more devices than ever.
What Happens When Reading Becomes Homework
Once upon a time, people would visit shops to look through books and choose the one they wanted most so they could return home, settle down with a cup of coffee, and lose themselves in a fresh tale. Today, that pleasure appears to have moved elsewhere. Now, people appear to regard finishing a novel as something to mark off as quickly as they can.
The NAEP discovered that 14% of students say they read for fun daily, and that is worth celebrating. Except the number is 13 percentage points below what it was in 2012. A separate 1992 survey of grown-ups showed that 61% read some literature for pleasure at least once a year, though that figure fell to 49% by 2022.
The Displacement Effect
The notion is that people have less room in their lives for reading because other demands on their time keep growing. A friend of a friend who has become a new mother recently found herself caught off guard by a pointed question about why she isn’t reading more: “What do you do for fun?” At first, she tried to dismiss it by noting she is a new mom with no free time. But the other person wouldn’t let it go, and she eventually admitted that even when she has a few minutes, she just scrolls through her phone instead. She found that answer troubling, so she deliberately set out to buy a book.
How To Kickstart The Revival
Bored Panda contacted three people who love books to help bring back reading. One of them writes for a living, another reviews books, and the third works as a researcher. Their suggestion is straightforward: treat reading as something pleasurable, rather than something unpleasant.
Research by cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis in 2009 shows that reading for just 6 minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68%. That is a real reason to crack open a book.
| Year | Share of Adults Who Read Literature |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 56.9% |
| 2002 | Not stated |
| 2022 | Fewer than half |
- 1992 survey: 61% of adults read some literature for pleasure at least once a year
- 2022 survey: 49% of adults read some literature for pleasure at least once a year
- Smartphone revolution: Began around January 2007, when Apple introduced the iPhone
- Teens’ daily social media time: Nearly 4.8 hours
Reading feels like homework to many people these days, and that is likely one reason why fewer of them do it. The phones themselves may not explain everything, but they certainly play a major role in the shift. The decline in reading is real, and it has been happening for quite some time.
Source material: “Only 38% Of American Adults Still Read, But There Are A Few Ways We Can Revive Reading,” Bored Panda.
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