Decision Fatigue Affects Would-Be Readers

According to Smithsonian magazine, leisure reading has declined by approximately 40 percent in the last twenty years. College-age students in particular are reading less since the start of the digital age. This is likely because the time and attention required to read has begun competing with the digital attention economy.

Over time, this has caused young readers to lose both reading interest and stamina. Time that could be spent reading now competes with time spent on social media engagement, streaming, gaming, algorithmic feeds, and relentless notifications. This engagement also creates decision fatigue in would-be readers, further deterring them from expending additional energy to read a book.

Decision fatigue, or cognitive exhaustion, in the digital world is caused by the endless exposure to and bombardment of content that patrons encounter when using computers or mobile devices. Libraries aim to alleviate this fatigue by whittling down the number of choices patrons face. This is achieved through curated displays that showcase staff-selected title suggestions, thereby personalizing the reading experience by highlighting books aligned with the local librarian’s interests.

Jill Sonke, research director at the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, says, “There’s a correlation between the time spent on digital media and reductions in reading time. It does seem logical that the ways in which digital media compete for our time would be a factor in these declines in reading.”

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The United States is currently facing a literacy crisis among adults, with approximately 130 million adults reading below the sixth-grade level. This crisis also impacts children in low-income homes, as well as those with disabilities or from communities of color.

Literacy gap statistics indicate a correlation between socioeconomic status and literacy. With rising living costs and the loss of food benefit support, the literacy gap will likely continue to grow as the middle class fades and the disparity between the lower and upper classes widens.

Since April 2019, the Freckle Project—led by Tim Coates and supported by the EveryLibrary Institute—has been tracking how evolving reading habits and format preferences impact libraries everywhere. The project’s most recent survey, from April 2025, found that 76 percent of library visits are for books and reading, and that 45 percent of library circulations are digital. This marks a significant increase from 2015, when only 8 percent of circulations were digital. Ultimately, the majority of library patrons are print book readers, with fiction being the most popular genre.

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In 2022, Pew Research Center found that three in ten Americans now read e-books—an indication that readers still prefer print. Relatively few Americans only consume digital books (including audiobooks and e-books). Approximately 33 percent of Americans read both digital formats and print books, while another 32 percent report reading only print books.

Libraries have made themselves accessible in the digital landscape by providing resources in several formats, primarily e-books, audiobooks, streaming services, and digital repositories. Libraries also offer other media formats, such as physical books, movies, and graphic novels. By curating such a wide variety of materials, the library can capture the attention of the widest possible selection of library patrons.

Strong collections correlate to higher reading engagement. Librarians work hard to build a suitable collection that reflects the needs and interests of their communities. It’s important that libraries know which subjects and authors are most requested by library patrons—the more varied a collection, the stronger the library, and the higher the reading engagement.

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Libraries often host monthly book club meetups. It is in these meetups that library patrons can find community with other like-minded readers. Book clubs frequently emphasize a particular genre, encouraging readers to try titles with similar themes or story arcs. These clubs foster a sense of community among readers and provide structured motivation to members. Club meetings are full of engaging discussions and can include prizes, snacks, or other events to maintain engagement.

Libraries offer reading programs for all ages, including challenges that incentivize the development of a sustainable reading habit. This is achieved by offering extrinsic rewards, community recognition, or prizes to readers who reach milestones often set by the hosting library. Incentive prizes can include free books, gift cards, or event passes.

It isn’t just older generations who use these spaces; libraries support Gen Zers, too! Young adults use the library to access digital resources, get help with research and homework, and study. Many libraries host tutoring programs that can also help improve academic and reading skills. Research shows that Gen Zers purchase, on average, one e-book and one audiobook a month, and libraries allow them to borrow these digital resources at no cost.

The Freckle Report shows that reading itself is not dying; it’s simply that people have a harder time choosing which activities to invest their energy in. Libraries can provide patrons with the tools needed to overcome cognitive fatigue during the present-day distraction epidemic.

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