America’s cultural crisis: Reading less, scrolling more

Americans are carving out far less time to read for pleasure than they did two decades ago. The drop is large, sustained, and uneven across communities. 

In a new study, experts warn the slide could carry cultural, educational, and health costs if it continues.

Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) Center for Arts in Medicine analyzed 20 years of time-use data from more than 236,000 U.S. residents. The study revealed a decline of more than 40% in daily leisure reading since 2003.

A steep, steady decline

Study co-author Jill Sonke is co-director of the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts research lab at UF in partnership with University College London (UCL). 

“This is not just a small dip – it’s a sustained, steady decline of about 3% per year,” said Sonke. “It’s significant, and it’s deeply concerning.”

The trend does not mean everyone has stopped reading. It does mean that, as a nation, fewer people now choose a book, magazine, or long article when they have time to spare.

Who is reading less in America?

The downturn is not evenly distributed. Steeper declines were found among Black Americans than white Americans, among people with lower incomes or less formal education, and in rural areas compared with metropolitan ones. Even among groups that tend to read more, the pattern is shifting.

“While people with higher education levels and women are still more likely to read, even among these groups, we’re seeing shifts,” said lead author Jessica Bone, a senior research fellow in statistics and epidemiology at UCL. 

“And among those who do read, the time spent reading has increased slightly, which may suggest a polarization, where some people are reading more while many have stopped reading altogether.”

Reading with children held steady over the period, which is encouraging. But it happens far less often than adults reading for themselves, despite its outsized importance for early literacy and family bonds.

Leisure reading and daily life 

The American Time Use Survey offers a granular window into daily life. It captures how people actually spend their hours, not how they wish they did.

“We’re working with incredibly detailed data about how people spend their days,” Bone said. “And because it’s a representative sample of U.S. residents in private households, we can look not just at the national trend, but at how it plays out across different communities.”

Over two decades, the pattern is consistent: the share of people reporting any leisure reading on a given day keeps shrinking.

Significance of leisure reading 

“Reading has historically been a low-barrier, high-impact way to engage creatively and improve quality of life,” Sonke said. “When we lose one of the simplest tools in our public health toolkit, it’s a serious loss.”

Leisure reading supports language growth, empathy, imagination, and lifelong learning. Prior work from the EpiArts Lab links creative engagement to better mental health and well-being. 

A national retreat from reading could ripple through classrooms, workplaces, and communities.

Why Americans may be reading less

The study did not test causes, but the authors point to likely drivers. Screens now compete for nearly every spare minute. Economic pressures have squeezed leisure time. Access to books and libraries remains uneven.

“Our digital culture is certainly part of the story,” Sonke said. “But there are also structural issues – limited access to reading materials, economic insecurity, and a national decline in leisure time.”

“If you’re working multiple jobs or dealing with transportation barriers in a rural area, a trip to the library may just not be feasible.”

Thus, the decline is not only about preference. For many households, it is about time, money, and proximity.

What might help

Interventions can work, the authors argue, but they must be targeted and practical. One of the strongest levers is at home.

“Reading with children is one of the most promising avenues,” said Daisy Fancourt, a UCL professor and co-director of the EpiArts Lab. “It supports not only language and literacy, but empathy, social bonding, emotional development, and school readiness.”

According to the researchers, communities can also make reading easier and more social.

“Ideally, we’d make local libraries more accessible and attractive, encourage book groups, and make reading a more social and supported activity – not just something done in isolation,” Bone added.

Those steps can lower barriers, especially where transportation or cost limits access to books.

The stakes for public health

“Reading has always been one of the more accessible ways to support well-being,” Fancourt said. “To see this kind of decline is concerning because the research is clear: reading is a vital health-enhancing behavior for every group within society, with benefits across the life-course.”

Reversing the slide will take more than nostalgia. It will require policies that protect library budgets, widen digital and physical access to books, and give families back a bit of free time. It will also take creative programs that make reading feel communal and joyful again.

The data show a country drifting away from a simple, proven habit. The choice now is whether to let that drift continue – or to rebuild the everyday moments that keep reading alive.

The study is published in the journal iScience.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–