Summary

US college professors are expressing concern over a decline in students' reading habits and comprehension, attributing it to shortened attention spans, the popularity of short-form digital content, and disruptions in education due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Abstract

College professors in the United States have observed a significant decrease in the amount and depth of reading that students are willing to undertake for their courses. Philosophy and humanities professor Adam Kotsko from North Central College highlights that students are now overwhelmed by reading assignments that were once standard, such as 30 pages per class, and struggle with texts as short as 20 pages. This trend is linked to the prevalence of bite-sized information consumption through social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, as well as a preference for video learning, with 60 percent of students aged 14 to 23 favoring videos over textbooks. However, educators do not solely attribute this issue to technology; they also point to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to years of disrupted education and may have eroded students' confidence in their reading abilities. The situation is further compounded by teachers assigning shorter readings in response to students' reluctance, potentially exacerbating the problem.

Opinions

Professor Adam Kotsko believes that students' reading abilities have regressed, with a significant reduction in their willingness and capacity to engage with longer texts.
Educators suggest that the constant interruption of reading experiences and the intentional avoidance of unfamiliar words contribute to students' difficulties with reading comprehension.
There is a sentiment that the education system's response to students' reading hesitancy, which involves shortening reading assignments, may be counterproductive.
The Covid-19 pandemic is seen as a contributing factor to the decline in students' reading skills due to prolonged periods of independent learning and disrupted education.
Some find it refreshing that educational leaders are acknowledging factors beyond technology, such as educational disruptions, as significant contributors to students' challenges with focusing and engaging in reading.

US professors raise concerns about college students’ reading ability

College professors in the United States are noticing a considerable drop in the number of students willing to do reading for their courses. Is an uptick in short-form digital content to blame, or is it something else?

In an age where our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter by the day, who has the time or patience to read long-form text anymore?

Apparently, not even students enrolled in higher education.

College professors from Illinois’ North Central College have recently sounded the alarm on the amount of reading their pupils are completing, which is – apparently — not a lot.

‘For most of my career, I assigned around 30 pages of reading per class meeting as a baseline expectation,’ wrote philosophy and humanities professor Adam Kotsko in an editorial for Slate.

‘Now students are intimidated by anything over 10 pages and seem to walk away from readings of as little as 20 pages with no real understanding,’ he continued.

Why is this happening?

Blaming our almost constant use of technology or addiction to screen time seems like the low-hanging fruit here — and it’s not an entirely bad guess.

Thanks to short-form content on social media, such as TikToks and Instagram Reels, young people have become adapted to consuming information about a wide range of topics in bite-sized portions.

We passively consume information on our smartphones while on the way to class, work, or even before bed. When craving a deeper dive into certain subject matter, we carve out time for movie-length documentaries or long-form YouTube videos.

It’s unsurprising then, that learning through video has become the preferred method for 60 percent of students aged 14 to 23.

Interestingly though, US-based professors do not solely blame technology for students’ disinterest and difficulty with reading long-form coursework.

Professor Adam Kotsko and his colleagues believe multiple years of disrupted education during the Covid-19 pandemic have hindered the progression of their students’ reading comprehension.

Long periods of forced independent learning may have also caused young people to lose confidence in their ability to read, understand, and finish longer pieces of text.

‘Even aside from the impact of smartphones, their experience of reading is constantly interrupted by their intentionally cultivated inability to process unfamiliar words,’ Kotsko writes.

This, he explains, is only exacerbated by the fact that teachers are responding to student’s hesitancy towards reading by providing them with shorter and shorter reading assignments.

It’s worth noting that the potential impacts extended lockdowns would have on education globally were well discussed throughout the pandemic.

As a result, the fact that college students of recent years are struggling to keep up with the demands of advanced-level coursework should really be surprise to no one.

That this trend is becoming obvious only signals that the next generation of college newcomers will require extra support when adapting to the amount of reading required of them in higher education.

That said, I’m sure most young people would agree it is refreshing to hear leaders in education point to something other than modern technology as the primary reason for young people’s inability to focus or commit to studying for once.