Reading for pleasure is slipping among young people in France, as screen use continues to dominate their free time, according to a new study by the country’s National Book Centre (CNL).
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Young people in France now spend far more time on screens than on books, with the gap widening sharply in recent years, the CNL‘s survey of 7 to 19-year-olds shows.
The study found young people spend on average 18 minutes a day reading for pleasure – one minute less than in 2024 and eight minutes less than in 2016.
Meanwhile, they spend three hours and one minute per day on screens, rising to as much as five hours for 16 to 19-year-olds – 99 percent of whom spend time on social media every day.
The study found that leisure reading declines with age, particularly among boys.
‘Instant gratification’
“The role of screens in families and schools, and the toxic addiction created by algorithms and social media, are factors,” Régine Hatchondo, president of the CNL, told France Inter.
According to her: “Reading does not provide immediate pleasure, unlike social media, which offers instant gratification.”
Hatchondo added that she is “fully in favour of banning social media” for under-15s, a proposal backed by the French Senate on 1 April, following a vote in the National Assembly in January.
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In 2026, reading among young people remains broadly stable compared to 2024, with 84 percent of those surveyed reading for school, study or work and 81 percent for leisure.
However, the drop-off among 16 to 19-year-olds is significant, with the study finding more than a third of this age group do not read at all.
The quality of reading time is also declining, particularly because it has become fragmented, with 67 percent of young people in the 16-19 age group saying they do something else whilst reading.
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Comic books
Despite a slight decline, comic books remain the first choice of reading material for young people.
The CNL’s data also shows that recommendations from friends and family, the cover, the hero and the blurb are still the main factors that prompt them to choose to read a certain book or comic book.
As for reasons for reading, relaxation was the top reason given, ahead of enjoyment. When young people would rather do something other than read, they turn first to screens, and then to sports or social activities.
(with newswires)
