Why do adolescents stop reading even when they were previously big readers? Obviously, life gets busier, pressures to join this and sign up for that, not to mention the study load and ambitions for the future – but there are other barriers to reading for pleasure and leisure.

The following paragraph from an article Motivating book reading during adolescence: qualitative insights from adolescents (Webber et. al., 2025) sums up the situations that can inhibit a willingness to devote time to reading:

Barriers to book reading

Research has identified a number of barriers to adolescents’ volitional book reading, including poor access; a mismatch between book provision and students’ needs or interests; social factors; undermining reading experiences in school; negative reading experiences; and a lack of time or competing activities (Gallagher 2023; Martin-Chang et al. 2021; Mol and Jolles 2014; Webber et al. 2024b; Wilkinson et al. 2020). In addition, during adolescence, individuals encounter a series of unique, age-specific situational contexts (Heath et al. 2009) which, for some, could affect their volitional reading motivation and engagement. For example, during the transition from primary to secondary education, where there is increased pressure to perform and attain, reading may become increasingly associated with educational outcomes (for example, reading to pass examinations), rather than being perceived as a source of entertainment or solace (Bokhorst‐Heng and Pereira 2008; Gallagher 2023; Merga 2016). Furthermore, after transitioning to educational research and secondary school, many adolescents experience changes in the availability of their free time, due to increasing amounts of schoolwork and extracurricular activities, and often become more independent in their recreational choices (Thing, Frydendal Nielsen, & Ottesen 2015), choosing to spend their free time on other activities.

An extensive study conducted across six Scottish secondary schools that were described as demographically diverse and geographically dispersed identified the six major themes determining a willingness to read as perceived by the adolescents themselves. These were: Access; Choice; Autonomy; Relatable messaging; Social factors; and Environments conducive to reading.

Food for thought …. 

References

Webber, C., Wilkinson, K., Duncan, L.G., & McGeown, S. (2025). Motivating book reading during adolescence: qualitative insights from adolescents, Educational Research

https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2024.2445618