There has been a sharp decline on how many children and young people are reading for pleasure.
“only 23% of 0-17s read for pleasure 'daily or nearly every day', down from 26% in 2019 and 38% in 2012.”
There are some key reasons why children are reading less, these include:
Screen time
Technology is becoming the main source of entertainment for children over reading. “69% of 0-17 year olds prefer screens over books, and 32% of four to five year olds would choose a screen ahead of a book.” The average age of owning a smart device is becoming younger and younger. “In fact, 11% get their first gadget before they’re even 5 years old.” These devices provide them with endless entertainment which has a detrimental affect on their attention spans. This makes reading much more difficult.
Children are not being read to as much
Research shows that children whose parents read to them from a young age, are more likely to find pleasure in reading as they grow up. Therefore, when parents hand their child a device instead of a book, they don’t develop the love for reading.
Reading is seen as a chore
Often in school, the skill of reading is pushed more than reading for pleasure. This can make reading seem like work. This is why it is important for parents to read to their child at home with books they enjoy.
I researched the benefits of reading in my last blog post. Therefore, if children are reading less, they won’t receive any of these positive skills.
Impacts: