Concerns are growing over declining literacy among today's students. Cases of students misunderstanding "saheul" (three days) as four days, "geumil" (today) as Friday, or "ucheon si" (in case of rain) as a place name are no laughing matter. Literacy refers to the ability to read and comprehend text. The problem goes beyond simple vocabulary deficiency — students struggle to read long passages and fail to grasp context within sentences. Adults are no different. According to a 2023 survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), South Korean adults scored 249 points in literacy, down 24 points from 2012 and below the OECD average of 260.
In an era overflowing with information thanks to the internet, why are we losing our literacy? Social networking services (SNS) are cited as a primary cause. SNS platforms are dominated by short texts, images, and videos. The companies operating these platforms do not want users to linger on a single piece of content. They need users to consume short content quickly and repeatedly to drive advertising revenue. To achieve this, SNS platforms deploy algorithms that continuously recommend short, intensely stimulating content. They also prompt instant reactions through "likes," comments, and notifications, leaving users no time to think. Nicholas Carr, a world-renowned information technology futurist, wrote in his 2010 book *The Shallows* that "every click we make on the web marks a break in our concentration, a bottom-up disruption of our attention — and it's in Google's economic interest to make sure we click as often as possible." At an SNS addiction damages trial held in a Los Angeles court in February this year, an email from a Meta employee was disclosed in which the employee wrote, "Instagram is like a drug. We are essentially drug dealers." Within this structure of SNS, the ability to comprehend long texts and grasp context is bound to weaken over time.
Can restricting SNS use solve the literacy crisis? Australia and the European Union (EU) are already pursuing strong legislation to block minors' access to SNS entirely. However, restricting SNS use can be a starting point for literacy recovery but is not a fundamental solution. Building literacy requires training. The most effective training is reading books. Carr noted in the same book that "the last thing Google wants is to encourage leisurely reading or deep thinking."
Reading teaches us the importance of slow reading. The act of stepping away from surrounding stimuli and concentrating on a long text deepens our thinking. Following the logical structure an author carefully builds toward a conclusion cultivates comprehensive and critical thinking skills. It is perfectly fine not to fully understand a book's content. In reading, the process matters more than the conclusion. Reading literary works such as novels and poetry also helps expand vocabulary and expressive ability by teaching how words are used within context.
Despite the growing importance of reading amid the literacy crisis, the number of people who read books is declining. According to the "2025 National Reading Survey" by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, six out of 10 Korean adults did not read a single book over the past year. This is the lowest figure since the survey began in 1994.
Getting the younger generation — especially elementary, middle, and high school students — to read books is urgent. Students must experience the joy of reading while still in school so they continue to read as adults. Reading education centered on workbook exercises and finding correct answers must shift to a format where students read entire books and engage in discussion.
The role of parents is also important. The British government, which declared this year the "National Year of Reading" and launched a large-scale campaign, recommended that parents read with their children for just 10 minutes a day. The message is that parents should set an example and help their children build reading habits.
Horace Mann, the American education reformer, said, "Resolve to edge in a little reading every day, if it is but a single sentence. If you gain fifteen minutes a day, it will make itself felt at the end of the year." A small habit of reading for even 10 to 15 minutes every day can change not only an individual's future but the future of an entire nation.