Stories
Governments Must Champion Reading Habits Like Seatbelts for Societal Well-being
- •Reading habits are declining, with many viewing books as elitist while short-form content dominates.
- •The article argues that reading, like wearing seatbelts, requires government intervention to foster a culture of engagement, as personal choice often leads to the easiest option.
- •Singapore's 'ReadSG' initiative offers cash rewards and virtual coins for daily reading, aiming to combat doomscrolling and build reading habits.
- •Japan's 'Book Start' scheme provides books to children at infant health checkups, promoting early literacy and ensuring access for all families.
- •South Korea implemented a fixed-price system for books to protect independent bookstores and publishers from deep discounts offered by online sellers.
- •China has integrated reading into national legislation, requiring reading facilities, school curricula, and establishing a National Reading Week, reflecting a strong government commitment to reading culture.
Key Questions Answered
Launched on September 6, 2026, Singapore's ReadSG is a five-year national movement encouraging people to log at least 15 minutes of daily reading on the CrowdTaskSG platform. Participants earn 20 virtual coins per qualifying session, which can be redeemed for cash once they reach 1,000 coins to help build a lasting reading habit.
In the early 2000s, South Korea's Fair Trade Commission intervened when online sellers offered massive discounts on new books, establishing a fixed price system in 2003. Today, book discounts are legally capped at 10 percent plus up to 5 percent in loyalty benefits to help smaller publishers survive.
China's first national legislation dedicated to reading came into force on February 1, 2026. It requires reading facilities in new residential developments, builds reading into school curricula, mandates accessible formats, and establishes the fourth week of April as National Reading Week.
