Southeast Asia’s falling literacy: can cash and gamification fix it?
Singaporean Najwa Alhabshi remembers spending her teenage years poring over literary classics such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and George Orwell’s 1984. The books introduced her to ideologies, philosophies and the American dream while expanding her vocabulary. But as work commitments grew, the pages of her books started yellowing. Finding time to read became harder, and her…
Southeast Asia is grappling with falling literacy rates as screens increasingly shape how people consume information. Singapore is taking action by launching an initiative that pays citizens to read, rewarding them with virtual coins for reading sessions. The goal is to build daily reading streaks through gamification, as experts believe a little nudge or challenge can encourage people to start reading.
However, attaching financial value to reading might strip away its intrinsic joy, experts warn. Other Southeast Asian countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, have also implemented measures to raise literacy rates, such as distributing books to schools and offering vouchers for digital books. Researchers and experts highlight the importance of building intrinsic motivation and cultivating lifelong reading habits, rather than just offering incentives.
They emphasize the need for support across various sectors, including public policy, language development programs, and creating supportive environments at home and in the community. Building dedicated spaces for reading and fostering community book groups could also help build momentum for reading habits.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
