Almost half of Australians wish they read more books. Here are 10 ways to get back into reading in a distracted age
- Written by Breanna Wright, Research fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University
Almost half of Australians wish they read more: in our recent research, 54.9% of those who have read a book in the past year, and 49.8% of those who haven’t, told us they read less than they intend to.
So, what’s stopping them?
Common difficulties include getting distracted, finding books they want to read, feeling motivated to read and not feeling like they’re in the right mood to read.
The good news is behavioural science, the study of human behaviour, can offer strategies to help us read more often. The key is to identify the barriers that stop us from reading – and use behavioural tactics tailored to them.
We surveyed a diverse range of 1,622 Australians aged 16 years and older, in August 2024. Our research, done in partnership with Australia Reads, used behavioural science to understand how people read for recreation. We counted print, digital and audio books, but not newspapers or magazines.
We asked participants about their current reading behaviours and their motivations, capabilities, opportunities and barriers related to reading. We broke down the activity of “reading” into a journey involving five specific behaviours: finding books, choosing books, getting books, starting to read, and continuing to read.
People may go back and forth between stages in their reading journey, and even be at different stages for different books. After investigating the specific barriers people experience at different stages we’ve devised ten useful tactics, to help you read more often.
If you want to read, but get distracted by other activities (or scrolling)
1. Try different formats, like audiobooks and ebooks, to incorporate reading at a more convenient time or place. For example, you could listen to an audiobook when you cook dinner.
2. Engage with shorter material or different genres to reduce the perceived effort of reading. (For example, graphic novels, short stories, or novellas.)
3. Place books in visible places, such as next to the bag you grab before you catch the train, or set reminders to read.
4. Try setting up a regular reading time, such as before bed or on public transport. Most importantly, find a time that is convenient and works with your life.
If you’re rarely in the mood to read
5. Remember, there’s a book for every mood. Find material that feels engaging in the moment, even if it means starting a new book or trying a different genre than you’re used to.
6. Read for enjoyment rather than as a chore – stop reading books if you aren’t enjoying them (give yourself permission to not finish a book even if you usually do), and select books based on your mood and interests, rather than what you think you should be reading.
7. Implement a reading buddy system with a friend or family member to make reading more social and encourage each other.
If you’re unsure what you like to read, or unmotivated by your usual reading material
8. Try shorter, more accessible books to find the types of genres and stories you enjoy. Pay attention to the parts of the books you enjoyed to help you find other similar books.
9. Use book subscriptions or curation services to help find books you might enjoy.
10. Try asking a friend, a librarian or a bookseller for recommendations.
How Australians read for leisure
Recreational reading can ebb and flow during different life stages and according to competing priorities. Just 17.3% of those we spoke to cited reading books as their top leisure activity.
But half (49.9%) of them read books as one of their leisure activities. Overall, reading was ranked fourth: behind watching TV and movies (80.9%), social media and internet browsing (61.2%), and eating and drinking out (55.1%).
Our participants who had read a book in the past year told us their top motivations to read were that it helps them relax and unwind (49.2%), brings pleasure and enjoyment (46.3%), and helps to keep their brain active (34.7%).
People told us they read to relax, for pleasure and to keep their brains active.
Martin Péchy/Pexels
It can take a while to feel engaged with a new book, especially if you’re coming back to reading after a bit of a slump. While most people we surveyed felt engaged in 30 minutes or less, around 15% needed up to 60 minutes to feel engaged with a book, and roughly 5% needed over an hour.
It can be easy to feel distracted when you’re not yet engaged. But give yourself time, especially when starting a new book, to connect with it.
The most important thing if you want to read more is to try to understand what’s getting in your way. Then, you can try something to specifically address that barrier.
Authors: Breanna Wright, Research fellow, BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University
