Study Shows Gen Z Parents Don't Want To Read To Their Children

Gen Z parents, born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, don't enjoy reading aloud to their children as much as their millennial and Gen X counterparts, a new study has revealed. The generations prior to Gen Z viewed reading as a fun and meaningful bonding activity and not just an educational task.

A HarperCollins UK report reveals a sharp decline in children reading for pleasure, with fewer of them opting to choose books in their free time. The report shows that in 2012, more than 55 per cent of children aged 5 to 10 often chose to read for fun, but by 2024, that number dropped to just 32 per cent. 

The study also shows that many parents don't find reading aloud enjoyable. Only 40 per cent of parents say reading to their children is fun. In 2012, about 64 per cent of parents regularly read aloud to children aged 0 to 4, as compared to 2024, when only 41 per cent do it.

Only 36 per cent of children aged 5 to 7 are read to regularly, while just 22 per cent of 8 to 10-year-olds are read to at home, according to the study.

Only 29 per cent of boys aged 0-2 are read to daily as compared to 44 per cent of girls in the same age group, it said.

The percentage of parents who say their children have too much schoolwork to read books has also sharply increased since 2012. In 2024, 49 per cent of parents of children aged 5 to 13 reported this, up from 25 per cent in 2012.

About 28 per cent of Gen Z parents think reading is a more effective way to learn, as compared to 21 per cent of Gen X parents. 

The report reveals that Gen Z parents, who grew up with phones and digital media, are more likely to turn to screens for entertainment instead of books. Reading is "more a subject to learn than a fun thing to do," according to nearly one in three youngsters aged 5 to 13 in 2024, up significantly from one in four (25 per cent) in 2012.

Spencer Russell, a former elementary school teacher and Founder of Toddlers CAN Read, asked parents last week, "Why aren't you reading aloud to your kids?"

One parent said, "It's so boring," while another said, "I don't have time."

According to The Guardian, some parents reported that it was difficult for them to get their children to sit still for long periods. One parent said, "He's always interrupting," while another said, "My son just wants to skip all the pages."

Mr Russell said, "We see children who can sit still and focus for hours on YouTube or Miss Rachel, but when you sit them down with a book, they move, wiggle, or scream and run away. Screen time is replacing one-on-one, quality interactions between parent and child."