Americans Aren’t Reading Much Anymore

Maybe you can blame it on all the screens in our lives, but a recent study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Americans just aren't reading that much anymore, with the average person spending only 19 minutes a day doing it.

Teenagers between 15 and 19 read the least, just 4.2 minutes a day on weekends and holidays, while those over 75 read the most, 61.8 minutes a day. The numbers show more reading with an increase in age, except for those between 25 and 34, where, at eight minutes a day, it's actually below the 10 minutes a day for those 20 to 24.

Showing how much less we're reading now, a report from Common Sense Media found that 45 percent of 17-year-olds say they only read for pleasure a few times a year, up from just 19 percent who said the same in 1984.