A new study from the U.K. adds to the growing body of work documenting the challenges adults increasingly face when it comes to reading.
Findings from the latest "State of the Nation in Adult Reading" report from the Reading Agency, a London-based literacy nonprofit, describe "a growing reading crisis, especially among younger adults," owing to distraction-filled environments and diminishing capacities for focus.
According to the report, nearly half (46%) of U.K. adults say they struggle to focus on reading due to distractions around them. That figure rises to 55% among respondents ages 16-24 and 35-44, and to 52% for respondents ages 25-34. One in three adults (33%) revealed that they multitask while reading, doing other things such as commuting, exercising, or household chores. For younger adults, this figure also rises: 48% of 25-34 year-olds and 43% of 16-24 year-olds and 35-44 year-olds reported reading while multitasking.
Meanwhile, 31% of adults say they struggle to finish what they start reading, with 43% of 16-34 year olds reporting this issue.
When asked what’s behind this drop in reading focus, 19% of respondents say their ability to focus has worsened over the last three years and 24% of 16-24 year olds say the same. The top causes given by respondents included lack of free time (24%), changes in mental or physical health (11%), major life events (10%), and changes in screen time or digital habits (10%).
"We’re living in a world full of noise—constant pings, feeds, and to-do lists," said Reading Agency CEO Karen Napier in a statement. "Reading can be a lifeline, but only if we can carve out the headspace for it."
A version of this story first appeared in the U.K. newsletter, Book Brunch.
