According to the World Bank Group, 70% of U.S. adults aged 15 and older were classified as illiterate in 2024. These findings suggest that literacy is no longer simply defined by one’s ability to understand and analyze written information as a whole. Literacy requires critical thinking, patience, and the ability to dive deeper – skills that are increasingly deteriorating in today’s world that relies on digital confirmation.
“Once we can’t express ourselves articulately… we lose our identity as a society,” English teacher Jo-Ann Carroll said.
This decline has implications for individuals and for society at large, shaping how we think and engage with information.
What is Reading Comprehension?
Reading comprehension is the ability to decode words, understand meaning, and think critically about a text. It goes beyond memorizing facts or identifying main ideas; it involves analyzing how ideas are presented, understanding nuance, and evaluating authorial intent.
“A lot of students will wait for the big picture rather than looking at the smaller steps… that’s what creates a deeper thinker,” CHS reading specialist and English teacher Mary Damiri said.
As underscored by Damiri, students may read fluently but often miss the subtleties that allow for true understanding, such as symbolism, rhetorical devices, or argumentative structures. In other words, students may not be able to accurately identify the purpose of the text and interpret it on their own. For example, a student may summarize a passage correctly but miss the author’s use of irony or purposeful diction, which can fundamentally change their understanding of the text.
Evidence of decline:
This noticeable decline in reading comprehension among students has affected both their academic performance and overall literacy skills. One key indicator is the reduction in attention spans and focus. Students often struggle to engage with longer, more complex written texts, becoming increasingly frustrated or disengaged after only reading a few pages.
“If I give out an article nowadays and it’s four pages, the students are like, ‘This is so long!’” Carroll said.
In contrast to earlier generations, who have implemented habitual reading in their daily routine, many students today have become accustomed to “freading” or artificially skimming short passages, making sustaining attention, interpreting adequately, and analyzing texts challenging. Along with this, teachers have placed less emphasis on reading full books and instead have based their curriculum on condensed short passages or excerpts.
Another clear sign of this decline is the tendency toward superficial understanding. Students may identify the main idea of the passage but fail to engage with the subtler aspects of the text.
Damiri explains, “Everybody is very quick to get an instant reaction,” emphasizing that many students prioritize speed over depth.
They often consume a text at face value rather than considering the underlying meaning or intent, which gravely limits their analytical and interpretive skills. Additionally, students are increasingly becoming more reliant on outside sources to supply them with the “correct” interpretation of the texts that they are reading.
This decline also manifests in the difficulty students face with complex or multi-layered texts. Reading challenging literature often requires careful attention, in addition to multiple readings, and patience to grasp a text’s full meaning.
“College-level literature… it might take two or three read-throughs to get a deeper analysis,” Damiri said.
However, many students today are unwilling or unable to dedicate the time necessary for this thorough kind of engagement. This tendency not only hinders comprehension but also affects critical thinking and the ability to synthesize ideas across different texts.
Classroom examples further illustrate this issue. In Damiri’s practice, students may correctly identify the main ideas of a passage but struggle to answer questions such as, “Why does the writer use a simile instead of just giving a specific literal detail?”
Similarly, Carroll said she observes that many students do not automatically annotate, take notes, or engage in active reading without guidance. These examples underscore that while students may be able to read fluently, their comprehension is often shallow, reflecting a broader trend of declining reading skills.
Both teachers emphasize that rebuilding comprehension requires consistent practice, patience, and cultural recognition of the value of reading.
“I really do think we need to be conscientious as a society to not let language become meaningless,” Carroll said, highlighting the high stakes of declining reading comprehension both for individuals and society.
Cause of the Decline
Several factors contribute to this decline. The digital age and instant gratification play a crucial role. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTik and X reward rapid scrolling and passive engagement rather than deep focus.
“We are all creatures of habits, and we all love our time on Instagram and TikTok… students are lacking patience and the discipline to go in and search for an answer over a longer period of time,” Damiri said.
AI tools such as ChatGPT can also exacerbate the problem. Students have grown reliant on the instant gratification offered in the digital age, often utilizing ChatGPT to respond, interpret, and analyze texts superficially. Students can receive detailed answers in seconds, bypassing the struggle of analysis and critical thinking, allowing a machine to replace their own thoughts.
“When you don’t have to think because a computer’s thinking for you, you lose that power of deeper thinking,” Carroll warns.
While technology provides convenience, overreliance fosters impatience and weakens the mental endurance required for careful reading, reasoning, and problem-solving.
“There’s a lot of just wanting to… superficially answer questions,” Carroll said.
This not only diminishes comprehension but also reduces the development of critical thinking and analytical reasoning.
Conclusion
Reading comprehension is more than an academic skill; it is the foundation of critical thinking. The decline in comprehension, fueled by digital distractions, instant gratification, and societal shifts, threatens both individuals and society. Teachers emphasize that rebuilding these skills requires deliberate effort, patience, and consistent practice.
