Nearly 50% of teenagers say they never read
Educators in the United States say they can tell when parents are reading less to their children. Russell, who runs literacy programs for kids starting as young as 18 months, often hears from parents of older children — some up to 14 years old — who still struggle to pick up a book. One common pattern is children who can spend hours focused on YouTube or Miss Rachel but resist books. “We see kids who will sit still for a screen, but if you hand them a book, they wiggle, cry, or run away,” said Russell, who is based in Houston.
For many parents in Generation Z, economic pressures add to the challenge. With childcare costs averaging about $11,000 annually in the U.S., rising expenses and long work hours leave parents stressed and exhausted, often too tired to read bedtime stories even if they know it matters. Technology also plays a central role, since gen Z was the first generation to grow up with screens. “Screen time is replacing those one-on-one quality moments between parent and child,” Russell said.
Excessive screen use has been linked to negative impacts on children’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional development. Doctors advise parents to limit non-educational screen time for kids ages two to five to about an hour on weekdays and three hours on weekends. Still, many parents describe tablets as a “necessary evil” when facing demands from toddlers. This concern is set against a broader literacy crisis: U.S. reading and math scores fell to 30-year lows during the pandemic, and reports highlight that even elite college students struggle with basic reading tasks. Teachers have taken to TikTok to urge parents to read aloud nightly, stressing how visible the difference is in students who grow up with that routine.
Research shows children who lack early reading experiences at home often fall behind peers in vocabulary and overall school success. Books are a primary way for kids to encounter new words, explained Dawna Duff, a professor at SUNY Binghamton. Meanwhile, Becky Calzada, president of the American Association of School Librarians, emphasizes the importance of parents modeling reading. She notes that reading aloud not only supports vocabulary but also builds emotional skills like empathy and connection.