Reading grows in emptied time [Morning Sunlight]

South Koreans are increasingly drawn to the instant gratification of platforms like YouTube, with average daily viewing time doubling in five years and a significant portion dedicated to short-form videos. This shift in attention, fueled by the dopamine-driven anticipation of the next piece of content, is contributing to a decline in reading, a practice now considered a rare skill.

Recent data reveals a stark picture: the adult reading rate in South Korea has fallen to a record low of 38.5%, meaning six out of ten adults do not read a single book per year. The average annual reading volume stands at a mere 2.4 books. International assessments, such as the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), show South Korea with a higher-than-average proportion of adults possessing low literacy skills and a significantly lower-than-average proportion achieving high literacy levels. Even students are reading less, with average annual reading volume dropping from 41 to 31.5 books over six years, and nine out of ten teachers observing a decline in children's literacy.

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The next video might be more fun, that uncertainty makes our fingers move.

In response, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed measures to revitalize school reading education, including enshrining reading education as a state duty in the Basic Education Act and designating specific grades for intensive reading instruction. Plans also include automatically reflecting students' reading records in their school files and using diagnostic tools to measure reading habits for personalized guidance. However, critics express concern that these initiatives, while well-intentioned, may inadvertently turn reading into another performance metric. The emphasis on measurement and recording could transform the "intrinsic pleasure" of reading into a "performance" for academic records, potentially leading to a focus on efficiency and superficial engagement, such as skimming summaries or revealing endings.

The article posits that the decline in reading is not due to laziness but because children's time has been "occupied." It draws a parallel to Johann Hari's "Stolen Focus," suggesting that the root cause lies in industries that mine children's attention for profit. While government initiatives like the "10 minutes of reading every morning" program are a start, the article argues that true reading education requires reclaiming children's time. It highlights Australia's pioneering law banning social media for children under 16 as an example of prioritizing children's time, a move being considered by other European nations and South Korea's media regulator. Ultimately, the piece advocates for fostering an environment where children can develop the ability to own their time and engage in the slow, reflective process of reading, which cultivates empathy and self-discovery, rather than viewing reading solely as a means to acquire skills for the AI era.

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We need to go upstream and see what's happening.