Why Teens Aren’t Reading Books (And How Parents Can Change That)
From Screens to Classics: How to Cultivate a Love of Reading in the Digital Age
Teenagers Will Read Anything—Except Books.
That seems to be the consensus as screens replace books in our lives.
The time kids spend in front of a screen has increased dramatically. According to one survey published by Common Sense Media, daily screen use is five hours and 33 minutes for tweens (ages 8 to 12).
The Decline of Reading Among Teens
For teens (ages 13 to 18), that time skyrockets to eight hours and 39 minutes. Most of that time is spent on TV/videos, gaming, browsing websites, and social media.
E-reading accounts for only 15 minutes of screen time a day.
However, as screen time increases with age, time spent reading books decreases—46% of 6- to 8-year-olds read books five or more days a week. At ages 9 to 11, this declines to 32%. At ages 12 to 14, it’s 21%.
By the time kids are 15 to 17 years old only 15% are reading regularly.
Is Reading Becoming a Thing of the Past?
Some will tell you not to worry. As I heard one children’s author say, “Your child reads, just not books” (referring to social media, texting, etc.)–which is about as reassuring as “Your child eats, just not fruits and vegetables.”
Are books a thing of the past? Publishers are changing their practices to ensure that they’re not.
Publishers’ Efforts to Compete with Screens
To compete with screens, publishers, including Catholic publishers, are turning to flashier products such as graphic novels. With colorful, full-page pictures, graphic novels combine the appearance of a comic book with the story structure of a novel.
High Interest/Low Reading Level books (also known as Hi-Lo books) are also on the rise. These books are designed for lagging readers whose reading abilities have fallen behind their peers. They combine lower reading levels with more mature themes and characters that will appeal to an older audience. There are even Hi-Lo books for struggling adult readers.
I’ve written before how, in an attempt to indulge shorter attention spans, our picture books are getting shorter.
However, publishers may be fighting a losing battle as children’s book purchases decline.
According to Brenna Connor, book industry analyst at Circana, “Screentime is a factor, and consumer research shows a negative correlation between increased screentime and reading for fun. The more time children spend watching a screen, the less time they have to read.”
The Limits of Flashier Books
To combat the intense competition of screens, we’re making our books more like their digital rivals with bigger, flashier pictures, simpler narratives, and fewer words. And it’s not working.
As reading interest and comprehension across all age groups, from early readers all the way to adults, continues to decline, will we continue to dumb down our books in a race to the bottom?
The Harmful Effects of Excessive Screentime
Pretty much everyone agrees that too much screen time is bad. Overexposure to screens causes language delays as young as 12 months. Older children experience anxiety, depression, lower academic achievement, lower self-esteem, and more.
The Importance of High-Quality Reading Material
But the notion that reading of any kind is superior—and will automatically provide our children with the intellectual sustenance that they require—is misguided. The “reading” that occurs while texting or swiping through TikTok is obviously of little benefit, but dumb-downed Hi-Lo books, while useful for encouraging reluctant or lagging readers, also fall short of the ultimate goal.
The mere consumption of media (whether on a screen or in a book) guarantees neither an education nor a life of virtue.
Why Classics Still Matter
Not every adolescent boy can read Captains Courageous. Rather than accept this as the new normal, we should recognize it for what it is: a tragedy. I don’t know if there’s a boy (or man) who wouldn’t benefit from reading Rudyard Kipling’s taming at sea of a spoiled son of a railroad tycoon.
We shouldn’t settle for lower-hanging fruit just because such classics are currently beyond our grasp. Books like Captains Courageous are more difficult to read. But that just means cultivating our children’s reading habits is all the more critical.
So how do we do this?
Parental Involvement Is Key
Left to choose between screens and books, the winner is obvious. Despite the publishing industry’s best efforts, reading is declining. Meanwhile, screen time has exploded, and screens dominate our social interactions, education, and entertainment.
The only way forward is through parental involvement. Parents can foster good habits in their children if they are actively involved and prudently regulate their children’s screen time.
Tips for Managing Screentime and Fostering Reading
- Know what your child is doing to make sure it is age-appropriate.
- Learn about and use parental controls.
- Teach children about online privacy and safety.
- Limit screen time to two hours daily in older children and less than 1 hour for ages five and under.
- Turn off all screens during family meals and activities.
- Do not use screens as pacifiers, babysitters, or to stop tantrums.
- Turn off screens and remove them from bedrooms 60 minutes before bedtime.
- Consider how screen time is spent. How much time is spent on educational content? How about video games, TV, or social media?
- Make educational screen time interactive. Include discussions with your child about what they learned.
- Set a good example with your own screen habits.
- Consider your child or teen’s maturity and habits and set boundaries accordingly.
- Eliminating all screentime may also be harmful. Remember that screens are tools like any other and, when used appropriately, can be beneficial.
- Encourage your child to learn other activities that do not involve screens, such as sports, music, art, and reading real books.
- Consider Hi-Lo books to jumpstart lagging readers, but remember that they are not the final goal.
- Reading aloud is a great way to introduce more complex books that kids aren’t ready to read on their own yet.
Conclusion: A Balanced Approach to Screens and Books
Screens are here to stay, but they don’t have to dominate our lives. It’s not too late to develop a screentime plan with your family. With proper guidance and consistency, children will read all sorts of wonderful things—even books.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Share your tips and questions with other homeschooling parents in our Homeschool Connections Community or Facebook group!
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