In 1993, four years before the first members of Gen Z would be born, American writer Ray Bradbury sat down for an interview with The Seattle Times regarding his acclaimed novel, Fahrenheit 451. The story takes place in a dystopian society in which all books have been banned. ¨Firemen¨ are instructed to burn every book they see in the ultimate censorship of freedom. Bradbury pointed out another way to do this, one less conspicuous, but just as effective: ¨You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.¨ 

This assertion rings especially true today, in a time when anti-intellectualism runs rampant and literacy rates are declining. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of adults who scored a Level 1 or below on a literacy test increased from 29% in 2017 to 34% in 2023, making about a third of the adult population in the United States functionally illiterate. The crisis is equally prominent in children and teenagers, with the percentage of 16-24 year olds reading at the lowest literacy levels increasing from 16% in 2017 to 25% in 2023. The same study also stated that only 43% of American fourth graders scored at or above a proficient level in reading. With these statistics only growing more dire as the years drag on, proponents of literacy and liberty are all asking the same question: What factors have contributed to this drastic decline, and how can we encourage American students to read beyond the bare minimum?

This article will not be a sermon. There is no use grumbling about how much better things were in the ¨good old days,¨ or blaming Gen Z for being born into a world which has chosen profit over learning, a world which holds ignorance in higher esteem than education. In short, there is no sense in pointing fingers at the victims in this situation. Instead, we should shine a light on the companies, circumstances, and institutions that have played a far more pivotal role in the fall of American literacy than those born between 1997 and 2012 possibly could have. This article will also not be a study, but is supported by evidence-based studies endorsed by experts who have dedicated their lives to studying the phenomenon of American illiteracy. 

Often, social media is the first factor to be blamed for the decline in American literacy among the youth. This assertion is not entirely unreasonable. In particular, the short-form content so prevalent on social media platforms promotes a culture of instant gratification, a superficial world of clicks and consumption, hardly beneficial to literary comprehension. As a result, first-time readers of complex literature are far more likely to grow frustrated reading without instant gratification. However, with dedication, willpower, and outside encouragement, this challenge is surmountable, and overcoming both frustration and a low attention span is entirely feasible. 

This ability to overcome perishes within a culture of academic elitism, where the frustration with the pacing of the book can turn into something fatal to the aspiring reader: a feeling of intellectual inferiority. Their difficulty with the book can be interpreted as an indication of “stupidity” and personal incapacity. Nobody likes to feel stupid, and so the would-be reader becomes frightened of these texts and discouraged from pursuing the genre further. Resentment festers, propelled by institutions that themselves are based on values of classism, sexism, and racism. Whether intentional or not, our natural human insecurity is exploited by the intimidating culture that surrounds higher-level reading.  Steps ought to be taken to make the reading world more welcoming and less rife with expectation. A significant part of this effort is emphasizing the individual’s relationship with the book and treating the text not as mere words on a page, but as sage mysteries to be speculated upon, analyzed, and voluntarily revisited time and time again.

For many students, the first strain in their relationship with reading comes from a class at school. Instructors are not to blame for this; rather, we should critique the way standardized tests in particular teach students to read and think. When a class is built around a national or statewide test, it’s easy to lose sight of what has drawn so many people to reading in the first place. Standardized tests enforce a very specific style of reading, one that prioritizes scanning and summarizing over rooted comprehension and connection with the text. These exams fail to help students derive real value from the text, let alone build a relationship with the book. It’s difficult to encourage risk-taking and theorizing when everything leads up to a test, and the student’s interaction with the text is significantly stunted by these deficiencies. When such exams are not tempered with more personal, in-class reading, they can do long-lasting damage to a student’s perception of why we read.

It need not be said that reading is incredibly beneficial. It can stimulate the imagination, soothe the troubled mind, teach valuable lessons, improve vocabulary, and, of course, help you become a better writer. It can bring alive long-forgotten battlefields, provide a vessel for escapism, and promote empathy by showing you the world through the eyes of another. But importantly, in 2025, reading is the simplest way the average person can contribute to the fight against authoritarianism, a phenomenon that thrives on ignorance. It’s easy to ignore statistics when they lie on the page, dormant, but if the impact of ignorance is to be understood, these statistics surely precede a sinister reality.  We are most susceptible to propaganda and misinformation when we are unable to analyze and comprehend information. Read for this, if nothing else.