While most Australians want to read more, getting back into books can be tricky for many of us – and that goes for our young people too.
Young adults are struggling with the social media ban, and though they’ll have more time for reading, music and sport, it’s a tough transition when you’ve grown up online.
We’ve rounded up some insights from Aussie teens to listen to their views on the opportunities and challenges around reading in the digital age.
We’ve also put together some top tips for adults on how we can support the young people in our lives to get back into reading.
Reading together and discussing books helps
‘Me and my mum both like to read books, and then talk about what we’re reading. … We read completely different genres, but still manage to understand what the other person is talking about’ – Minh
Reading doesn’t have to be a solo endeavour. 86% of our children and young adults aged 5-17 like or love reading with parents – because it’s a special time as a family.
Discussing books also provides space for young people to discuss big or difficult topics with their families, in a safe and supported way – prompted by the stories, characters or worlds they’re reading about.
‘Talking about books keeps me motivated – I like to discuss and analyse what happens to other people.’ – Ada
Three quarters of our children and young people find that books help them make sense of the world – and taking time to talk about what they’re reading with trusted adults can supercharge those experiences.
Teens want to choose their own books
No one likes to be forced to read something they’re not interested in. Drawing on children and young people’s unique tastes and interests, and letting them lead the process of choosing their own books, is more likely to lead to a positive reading experience.
‘People keep making decisions but not talking to us about what actually we want or what is helpful.’ – Ezekiel
Rather than buying books for them, give young people book vouchers, take them along to bookshops to choose a book for themselves or a friend, or let them buy books online. Research shows that when children and young people choose their own books they are more likely to both finish and enjoy the book.
‘Mostly I like to read manga and stuff and my parents don’t really know about those kinds of books. So mostly I just get them to take me to the bookshop and I pick something or order it online myself.’ – Max
Young people need help finding good books
With so many books out there, finding the ‘right’ one can be tricky.
With access to BookTok and Bookstagram now restricted for many young Australians, we need alternative ways for young people to find out what their peers are enjoying. So where can we direct teens looking for their next great read?
‘So, my favourite place is to come to the school library, and the person that mostly gives me my books to read is [teacher librarian]. She’s like, oh, have a go at this book because I think you might like it. So, I read it, and go like, yeah, this is great’ – Stella
In-person conversations with friends and peers, as well as with knowledgeable librarians and booksellers is a great place to start for book recommendations.
Books by authors that they already like, or reading the book of a movie, TV show or game they enjoy are also surefire ways of finding a good match.
Online channels that young people can access and navigate themselves for book recommendations include LoveOzYA, StoryGraph, GoodReads, Fable and the popular library apps Libby and BorrowBox.
‘Heartstopper … was on Netflix … so you got recommendations and lots of things. It’s popular. I’ve been to watch that series four times, then I read the books’ – Isaac
For parents and teachers, platforms like Your Kids Next Read, Reading Australia, Good Reading, the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards and other YA Awards can help with recommendations – though, as a general rule, it’s best to let children and young people lead the browsing process!
‘Seeing reviews and book recommendations online makes me more interested and gives me an incentive to pick up a novel.’ – Bahar
Finding time to read can be tricky
Our young people are busier than ever, with school, extracurricular and social commitments packing out their schedules. ‘Not having the time’, is a common barrier to reading for both young people and adults alike.
‘I used to, through all my primary school, I’d read for hours on end. Then I kind of hit high school and then from Year 7 on, my reading kind of stopped. Because when you get homework and everything, you don’t really have time to read’ – Elliott
Educators and parents can help support teens to read through making time in their schedules to encourage reading – whether that’s print books, ebooks or audiobooks.
It’s worth noting, however, that not all young people will want to read at the same time, in the same way – be curious about when feels like a good time for reading, and try to make time and space for the habit to grow.
‘Give us more time to read. Schools make time for homework and a small amount of free time, but back when free reading was a thing, it was better but now all the free reading time if for mandated books (and most of the time we don’t want to read those anyway)’ – Ada
Thank you to all the young people who shared their views! We’re looking forward to continuing to work with children, teens, parents and educators to support our young people to rediscover a love of reading.
Credits: Deakin University Discovering a Good Read report, Scholastic’s Kids and Family Reading reports.