Every few years in the US, popular discussion emerges over reports claiming that the reading habits of Americans are in decline. When have reading habits in the US reached a level acceptable by academia? The answer is “never.” Furthermore, with the number of digital platforms available, what defines a reading habit isn’t clear.  

When a report claims that Americans are reading less, and the study only counted the number of books a person read for the year, accurate numbers on the act of reading itself are near-impossible to gauge. 

A person who reads one horror novel a week verses someone who reads three newspapers a day and averages two 19th century French literature titles a month, in the eyes of the survey and as inaccurate as it is, the former will be considered the stronger reader.

When gauging habits like cigarette smoking, data is easier to collect among all socio-economic groups. If someone consumes 20 cigarettes a day then the person in question smokes one pack a day. 

The definitive annual study of reading habits in the US comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics report known as the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), first released in 2003.

As definitive as the study may be, there’s still room for improvement.  For example, the survey includes audiobooks as reading when it’s a form of listening. 

Another problem with ATUS is how the survey collect its data. First, a survey is mailed to participants where they answer questions on how they spent their free time the day before. If respondents did not read for personal leisure on the day in question, and even though they often read, their honest answers will have a negative impact on the results.  

A reading habit is nearly impossible to gauge. Many read books sold at grocery stores, while others prefer classic titles found at traditional bookstores.  Some only read history, while others read science. Regardless, a survey that determines reading habits is an unrealistic notion.

ATUS found the personal reading habits of women outweighed men, but there are still more women who work as full-time homemakers than men. As for what stay-at-moms were reading the survey doesn’t reveal. When a housewife reveals that she has read everything by Danielle Steel, there’s a good chance she suffers from a learning disability that makes it hard for her to understand novels written by Kurt Vonnegut or Mark Twain.

Conflicting reports have also emerged that have suggested Americans are reading more. For example, paid news subscriptions are at an all-time high, and the National Endowment of Arts (NEA) released a survey that found more Americans are reading poetry today than ever before.      A recent report from the Pew Research Center revealed that 24 percent of Americans did not read a book during 2016.

A great deal can be learned about someone by analyzing what they read. In the US, if a person reads shallow commercial fare, then there is a strong chance they won’t have too much to offer or say. For those who read literature, they are the ones who keep the act of reading alive and a vital part of what it means to be alive. The fact there is not a survey to gauge this is a good thing.  It makes the act of reading quality work much more powerful and important.