So much to read, so little time: inside today’s reading culture

Inspired by the National Year of Reading, we wanted to understand what reading really looks like for women today. At a time when attention feels increasingly stretched, notifications never stop and every platform is competing for our focus, has reading changed or are we simply reading differently?

What we found is that reading remains deeply embedded in everyday life, but the way people engage with content has evolved significantly. Reading today is frequent, habitual and highly adaptive, happening in the gaps between meetings, on public transport, before bed and while scrolling phones throughout the day. Books still matter deeply, but they now sit alongside articles, newsletters, social content, podcasts subtitles and even AI-generated summaries as part of a much broader content ecosystem.

For brands, publishers and platforms, that shift matters. Winning attention is no longer just about producing more content, but understanding the role different formats play in different moments.

Forget habit stacking, the “reading stack” is the new trend 

Audiences no longer choose between books and digital, instead they are focused on building a daily “reading stack”. From social media posts to physical books, each format plays a different role in discovery, consideration and loyalty, blending long‑form and short‑form throughout the day.  

• 87% read print books, and 49% read e‑books 

• 73% read online articles, while 66% use news websites 

• 64% regularly read social media posts 

• Even emerging formats like AI summaries reach 18% of readership 

  
  

This mix signals two things: reach is built in the fast formats, and depth is protected in the slow ones. Even “new” behaviour such as AI summaries demonstrates how quickly audiences adopt anything that reduces effort and fits into a squeezed schedule. 

It’s all about the timing 

Reading is increasingly mobile-first and opportunistic becoming something people do around life, not instead of it. That makes placement, timing and format as important as the content itself.  

• 83% read online articles on their smartphone, far outpacing laptops or tablets 

• Reading happens most often at home (88%), in bed (74%) and on public transport (52%) 

• Evenings (73%), before bed (69%) and weekends (66%) are the key reading windows 

  
  

For brands, this opens clearer avenues to meet audiences where they are. Smartphone-first create higher value commute and daytime dips; comfort-first, immersive storytelling for evenings and bed; and longer, higher-value reads for weekends. Access should have as little friction as possible, with clear entry points, strong hooks and a reason to keep reading. 

People aren’t turning away from reading, they’re negotiating for it  

Speaking of friction, we found that one of the strongest barriers is not persuading audiences that reading is valuable; it’s making reading easier to start and easier to continue within time-poor schedules. 

• 64% say lack of time gets in the way of reading more 

• 36% cite social media distraction, and 35% too many other entertainment options 

• Concentration, attention span and stress also play a role 

  
  

For the majority, cost is a relatively minor barrier while the fight is for attention and usability suggesting the desire to read is there, but time and focus are under pressure. Targeting content for natural reading rhythms through sharper signposting, serialised formats etc. could support the desire rather than fight against it with traditional media forms. 

How does this story end? 

Overall, reading levels remain stable, with over a third of respondents saying they read more now than a year or two ago. Book reading is also holding steady, with most people reading 1-3 books a month.  

It’s clear that the appetite for reading hasn’t declined; instead, it’s been redistributed into predictable, high-opportunity moments where brands can show up with the right format and creative. The brands that succeed will be the ones that recognise how audiences move fluidly between depth and convenience, and create experiences that feel relevant, easy and genuinely worth people’s time.

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