U.K. Study Finds ‘Growing Reading Crisis’

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.