Shocking reports have emerged about just how badly the United States is doing in reading comprehension. It’s now estimated that 20% of adult Americans read below a third-grade level (about 8 or 9 years old), and other countries are also seeing a nosedive in literacy.
Sadly, children have been the hardest hit. Anecdotal reports from teachers worldwide show that children are performing abysmally at all levels, barely able to comprehend what they are reading even with significant help.
As writers, we want people to understand and enjoy our work. As businesspeople, we need a strong consumer base who wants to buy our products. So what do we need to know about these horrifying statistics – and what can we do about it?
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Why are young people struggling to read?
One would be excused for blaming everything on the American education system. This certainly plays a part: schools are underfunded, overcrowded, and forced to teach curricula that emphasize standardized tests. There’s little room for simple curiosity or reading for pleasure.
And the emphasis on test scores does even more damage to kids. Because school funding is tied to pass rates and college acceptance percentages, schools shunt failing students onto the next grade so they don’t lose money. Kids get further and further behind because it’s hard to help them catch up when 30 other kids also need attention.
But there are many other factors, ranging from parent disinterest to pandemic aftereffects.
Now, I know you’ll hate to hear this this next part.
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Yes, parents are partially to blame for their kids being hopelessly behind.
Don’t think I’m smugly slamming all parents. There are many wonderful people out there who are raising amazing kids. They are doing exemplary work, creating curious young minds who will pave the way for the next generation.
However, those gold star moms and dads are a small minority compared to the disinterested, apathetic, and frankly neglectful parents who sit their kids down with an iPad and walk away.
Some school systems have resorted to begging parents to spend any time with their children. One can assume that if five minutes of bonding time is considered a big ask, the parents aren’t reading to their kids before bedtime.
Additionally, many parents assume that it is the school’s responsibility to teach kids everything they need to know. Children are arriving to their first day of school in diapers – not because they have a medical condition, but because their parents literally did not toilet train them.
Yes, parents are tired from working multiple jobs with little social support. I do agree that we need to help parents; I’ve done my part in the past by working as a tutor. But still, it is primarily the parents’ responsibility to raise the children they chose to have by any means necessary, and they are not doing so.
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Unlimited screen time is rewiring our brains – and it’s even worse for little kids.
Social media thrives on short-form texts that require little thought, which damages our cognitive capacity to sit down and read for extended periods of time. Attention spans are getting shorter; there are too many distractions to sink down into a good book.
With children’s neuroplasticity, even a few hours of screen time is causing permanent alterations to their brain structure, making it difficult for them to focus. A new trend of “screenmaxing,” or using two screens to watch or play two things at once, is absolutely melting their minds.
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Lastly, we can’t discount the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, both on children and adults.
Not only were entire school years disrupted by the switch to remote learning, which caused plunging test scores, but Covid itself causes brain damage that can rob us of higher-order thought processes.
I found it incredibly hard to focus on books after getting Covid, and I still have to force myself to read regularly, knowing that it’s so important for my own authorial growth. This is probably due to a combination of too much social media, Covid brain damage, and simple burnout from working full-time while also writing my books.
Similar combinations are likely the case for nearly everyone, including kids. And it’s very worrisome.
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Mental exhaustion, paired with poor reading education, reduces the demand for complex literature.
A report commissioned by HarperCollins found that over 25% of YA readers are above the age of 28. Reasons given for this included that many millennials feel like they are still emerging adults due to delayed adult milestones, like purchasing a home, getting married, and raising a family.
When none of the stereotypical indicators of maturity are within reach, then of course you will feel like you’re not really an adult. I get that, trust me. I just turned 33 on June 23 (and released my third book!), but I often feel like I’m just LARPing as a real adult.
And there’s the fact that life is just extremely stressful right now. If you’re reading for fun, why would you want to push yourself with even more cognitive exhaustion? Some would argue that you should for your own edification, but let’s be real – life is hard and it sucks. No one wants to do more than they have to when they’re working 50+ hours a week.
However, I also suspect that low literacy is part of the reason for the total explosion in Young Adult literature, even amongst people in their 30s and 40s. It is genuinely hard for many full-grown adults to comprehend or enjoy more complicated plots, so they default to what’s more comfortable for them. Sadly, not everyone had access to a high-quality education as a child, and they may not be able to play catch-up later in life.
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Let me make it perfectly clear: I’m not shaming adults for reading YA.
After all, reading anything is good, even if it’s below your full potential. As someone who struggled through International Relations courses, I understand that it really sucks to feel like you have no idea what you’re reading.
You’re not a bad person if you only read YA as an adult because your reading habits say nothing about your value as a human. I would tell you that you should branch out and read something more age-appropriate because personal growth is a good thing.
But ultimately, it’s your life, and you should spend your leisure time how you want to. I can’t make you do anything.
I will make one ask, though. Please stop demanding spice in YA. Stop looking to children’s books for steamy romances. Stop complaining in reviews when characters don’t go all the way. This stuff is for teenagers, who are children. You’re not the actual target audience. That’s weird.
But anyway, let’s return to the writing side of the equation.
Does this mean that everyone should give up on writing adult fiction and pivot to YA if they want anyone to read? Of course not. And it doesn’t mean that there’s no hope of anyone ever reading any stories, ever again.
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Literature is not doomed.
There have been some gloomy arguments that literature itself will go extinct. I’m very leery of this idea. After all, literature has thrived in eras where even fewer people could read.
The Tale of Genji is considered the world’s first novel and was written in 11th century Japan. (By a woman, no less!) During the Heian era, literacy was strictly confined to the aristocracy and Buddhist monks. Estimates are as low as 10% amongst the entire population, which may itself be an exaggeration.
Shakespeare wrote during the Elizabethan Era, a time when only around 30% of men and 10% of women could read and write. He’s a perfect demonstration of exactly how people could still enjoy literature, given that his works are mostly plays. His other works, like his sonnets, were provided to wealthy patrons for payment, funding his playwriting endeavors.
This brings me to my next point, something we are already seeing.
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Movie adaptations demonstrate the value of literature in an era of lower literacy rates.
While I’m spitballing here, I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that more movie adaptations than ever are being made of novels (though there are other capitalistic pressures at play too). Just like with Shakespeare’s plays, visual adaptations engage audiences who may not be capable of reading the original – or may simply not have the time.
Audiobooks, too, are a perfect example of this. And no, audiobooks aren’t cheating; they are a continuation of a millennia-old practice. Humans have been orally transmitting stories for thousands of years, including all of Buddha’s teachings, Jesus’s life story, and Homer’s Odyssey.
Not to say that you’re illiterate if you use audiobooks, of course. They are a convenient way to get more reading done when you’re busy with something else, and I’d never shame anyone for using accessibility tools. In fact, you can use tools like Sensory Readable to turn anything into an audiobook if you want!
The fact that people still want to engage with literature, even if it is in a different format, demonstrates the deep human need for entertainment, interpretation, and exploration. That will never go away, though writers may struggle to get their work out there if they are self-published.
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What does this all mean for writers?
Here is where the rubber meets the road. The answer to this pivotal question depends on your approach to writing.
If you are writing with commercial intent, hoping that you will be able to quit your day job and live off royalties, you are probably screwed. We’re already seeing how more books are being published than ever while less books are getting read than ever before.
Rising illiteracy, cost-cutting publishing houses, and saturated markets make it almost impossible to make a good living off your work. Publishing has always been a cutthroat industry, and now it’s started to slash its own neck.
And there’s the frankly apocalyptic Amazon boycotts that are destroying selfpub sales. I have big feelings about that specifically, but it’s beyond this post’s scope.
Yes, there are exceptions, mostly of people who ruthlessly write to market and spend all their time setting up ads. However, unless you run your author business like the most aggressive startup ever, you will likely struggle.
But, if you are writing for personal satisfaction and maybe a bit of fun money, then you’re going to be okay.
Why wouldn’t you be? You’ve secured your future by maintaining a primary income stream; you’re writing to share stories you love, and low sales won’t destroy you. Breaking even is the primary goal, something that can be easily attained if you are careful with your expenditures.
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Illiteracy is terrible on a societal level, but it should not squash your literary dreams.
Trends in reading comprehension can inform your writing if you are eager to capture a high market share.
You’ll want to look carefully at your estimated reading level, reduce difficult sentences, and analyze the market to identify what will resonate best with your ideal audience. This may mean de-emphasizing certain themes, writing shorter books, or prioritizing a well-made audiobook so people can enjoy your work without reading.
But trends don’t necessarily matter if you’re writing for self-satisfaction and are happy with a smaller readership. Those who aren’t interested in making this day job do not need to stay up at night worrying about reading curricula.
You, the author, are not responsible for solving illiteracy, nor are you required to “dumb down” your work if you don’t want to. If becoming the next George RR Martin is not your ultimate goal, then simply keep writing how you want to. You only need be aware that you may be disappointed at the readership you attract and temper your expectations.
I, personally, will keep writing for the audience that wants me – and for myself. If this means I don’t sell more than 250 copies per book, I’m okay with that. Maybe one day in the future, when we have rectified the grievous errors breeding such rampant illiteracy, my work will be enjoyed by the next generations who had access to high-quality education.
After all, a good book is eternal. Many of the best works of modern literature were ignored during their author’s lifetime, only to become beloved decades later.
Whether that will be true for me or not is anyone’s guess, but I’ll strive to create something I’ll be proud of even after death.