By Robert Nicholson

Walk into almost any restaurant today and you’ll see it.

A toddler quietly watching cartoons on a tablet. An elementary school student scrolling through TikTok while waiting for dinner. A teenager texting friends while a book sits untouched in a backpack.

For many families, screens have become the default way children spend their free time.

But an increasing body of research suggests that convenience may be coming with a hidden cost: America’s children are reading less, comprehending less, and struggling to stay focused long enough to finish a book.

Researchers are finding consistent links between excessive screen use, reduced attention, and weaker literacy skills, though they also note that the type of screen use matters. Educational, interactive use with adults is very different from hours of passive scrolling.

That distinction is important—but so is the broader trend.

The Numbers Are Moving in the Wrong Direction

Reading for pleasure is becoming increasingly rare.

A major literacy survey released last year found that only about one in three children said they enjoy reading in their free time—the lowest level recorded in two decades. The decline has been especially sharp among younger students and boys.

Educators are seeing the consequences every day.

Students who can decode words often struggle to maintain attention through an entire chapter. Teachers report shorter attention spans, weaker writing skills and increasing difficulty getting students to read independently.

Why Reading Is Different

Watching a video is easy. Reading is work.

When a child reads, the brain must visualize scenes, remember characters, understand vocabulary, infer meaning and connect ideas across pages. It’s one of the most cognitively demanding activities children perform.

A video supplies every image, but a book asks a child to create those images themselves. That’s where imagination grows, vocabulary expands and where critical thinking begins.

Researchers studying reading on screens versus paper have also found a small but consistent advantage for reading comprehension when children read printed material rather than digital text.

Other studies suggest that constant digital interruptions and media multitasking make it harder for children to sustain the attention needed for deep reading.

It’s Not Just About Reading

Reading affects far more than English class.

Children who read regularly tend to build stronger vocabularies, communicate more effectively, and develop greater empathy by seeing the world through other people’s experiences. Those skills carry into science, history, math word problems and eventually the workplace.

By contrast, excessive passive screen time has been associated in many studies with

attention difficulties, language delays, and reduced concentration. Researchers emphasize these are associations — not proof that screens alone cause these outcomes— but the pattern has become difficult to ignore.

Other Countries Are Taking Notice

The concern isn’t limited to the United States.

Sweden — once considered a world leader in classroom technology — is now reversing course. The country is investing heavily in printed textbooks, limiting phones in schools, and encouraging more traditional reading after officials became concerned about declining literacy and comprehension. Similar efforts are emerging elsewhere in Europe.

The message is becoming clear. Technology is an incredible tool.

But perhaps it should remain a tool—not replace books altogether.

What Parents Can Do

The solution isn’t banning every screen.

Children need technology to succeed in today’s world.

But experts increasingly recommend balance:

• Read with your children every day—even 20 minutes matters.

• Keep phones and tablets away during meals.

• Make bedrooms screen-free before bedtime.

• Visit your local library regularly.

• Let children see adults reading, not just scrolling.

• Choose books that match a child’s interests instead of forcing titles they don’t enjoy.

Children learn what they see.

If they grow up surrounded by books, chances are they’ll open one.

If they grow up surrounded only by screens, they may never discover what they’re missing.

Turning the Page

Every generation worries that the next one is changing. Sometimes those fears are overblown.

This time, however, the research suggests we should pay attention.

Children still have incredible curiosity. They still love stories. They still dream big.

The question is whether we’re giving those stories a chance to compete with an endless stream of notifications and short videos.

Maybe the answer isn’t fewer screens. Maybe it’s simply more pages.

And perhaps one small step toward that goal is an old-fashioned idea whose time has come again:

Let’s put more newspapers in our schools. ■