“We prefer that they read stories on their cell phones than not at all,” declares the president of the National Book Center

“We prefer that they read stories, stories, novels on their cell phones and computers than not at all”declared Régine Hatchondo, president of the National Book Center (CNL), Tuesday April 9 on franceinfo, while a study shows that reading time is declining and struggling to compete with screens among 7-19 year olds.

According to the study “Young French people and reading” published this Tuesday by the Ipsos institute and commissioned by the National Book Center (CNL), most reading indicators are declining among 7-19 year olds. In addition, a third of young people aged 16 to 19 do not read at all for leisure. The study also shows that on a daily basis, “young people spend 10 times more time on screens than reading books”. On the other hand, the study reveals that almost half of young people have now already read a digital book, and 42% of those questioned say they have already listened to an audio book.

All red signals

For Régine Hatchondo, “it’s best to read no matter what”. The president of the CNL knows it, “reading on paper is better for the brain, memory and even language development” but “we prefer that they [les jeunes] read stories, stories, novels on their cell phones and computers than not at all”.

Concerning the results of the study she details: “All the signals are red, everything is falling, with in particular a worrying dropout among 16-19 year olds who say they no longer read at all for their leisure time. This is 10 points more than two years ago “. The only indicator that is not declining concerns audio books and reading on digital media, which seem to convince “about half of young people” : “These are the only ‘progress’ if I can say that this study gives us, otherwise everything else deteriorates.” Proof for Régine Hatchondo that “the Gafam bet – whose purpose is to make us addicts – works with our youth”.