The Literacy Crisis and Its Detrimental Effects on America’s Youth

The ability to read is one that is fundamental for children to be able to develop critical thinking skills, acquire knowledge, and function as a competent member of society. According to an article written by Annie Ma & Todd Feathers (September 9th, 2025) published on apnews.com, “A decade long slide in high schooler’s reading…performance persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th grader’s scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years.” This trend reflects a concerning decline in the reading comprehension ability of America’s youth. The persistent steady decline alludes to more factors besides the recent COVID-19 pandemic being at play. Today I will be addressing 2 of the most important reasons why a lack of  literacy is quickly becoming one of America’s greatest failures: 1) The increasing reliance of technology & its detrimental effects on students, & 2) systemic educational failures to instill basic literacy skills in children during critical learning years. These are just some of the reasons as to why there are full grown adults who lack the basic reading skills necessary to succeed in life. Let's begin with how the new age of technological advancement has become detrimental to a child’s ability to read.

Modern technology has made it possible for anyone to find an endless amount of information at their fingertips; however, it has also made it mind-numbingly easy to attain knowledge that we as humans simply aren't capable of processing. In an article written by Elizabeth Heubeck (Jan. 15, 2024) published on Educationweek.org, neurobiologist Horowitz-Kraus talks about her research on the effects of high digital media consumption on children , “that brain connectivity known to enhance reading and associated cognition appears to be weaker among children who are reading print less and engaging in screen time more—is concerning.” The article's referenced research findings found direct causation between children with higher parent reported screen time, and lower connectivity in brain processes responsible for reading comprehension—revealed through MRI examination. All the while, there are persistent systemic failures in the American education system’s approach to teaching children to read. In an article written by by Jeanne Sager (Sept. 30, 2024), published on Ignitereading.com, Sager states, “Researchers have proven that taking students’ attention away from the letters in a word reduces the chance that they’ll use their knowledge of letter-sound correspondence when attempting to read…reducing their overall chances of becoming fluent readers.” The American education system is using a curriculum that encourages students to guess words with visual context rather than sounding out words and learning them on a structural level with traditional phonics. Balanced literacy as a method of teaching, has proven to be ineffective and even downright detrimental to a child’s reading ability, but it's still in use today. These 2 factors add up as a double whammy that showcases how the environment of students at home and in the classroom are unfavorable for teaching children to read proficiently.  Now that we understand how and why children are becoming less literate over time, let's go over what happens as a result of this downward trend of literacy. 

In response to the consistently worsening academic performance from students,, schools have begun to lower their grading standards as a way to prevent students from outright failing. In an article written by Mike Nichols (April 23, 2026) published in BadgerInstitute.org, Nichols references a research study from University of Texas Austin, “In sum, the study suggests, students learn less and earn less when they have less incentive to actually study in order to get top grades. They get an ego boost for a day and a nice (GPA) but don’t fare well in either college or the real world.” The decrease in standards in the American education system with things like grade inflation only serve to put students at a disadvantage in multiple aspects of life; by instilling a sense of false confidence and readiness on a student's abilities, they are instead set up for failure when they are faced with responsibilities they weren't properly prepared for. According to an article written by Theara Coleman (Oct. 15, 2024) published in theweek.com, “Students now seem increasingly incapable of reading whole books, a problem Professors say is becoming the norm, even at some of the nation's most elite colleges.” The failure to properly learn to read and write is a major that results in a snowball effect that inevitably leads students falling behind and underprepared for college level assignments that expect students to be capable of more advanced applications of reading and writing. Even for those who decide to not to pursue a further education beyond high school, being literate allows one to see beyond common details and into the nitty-gritty fine print of the world. Being well educated in reading allows someone to, for instance, see nuance in the campaigns of  persuasive politicians and see the real implications of their policy. The ability to critically read is what distinguishes a passive consumer of media and potential propaganda, into an informed voter and well versed citizen in society. A process that ultimately begins with providing the youth with a good education that allows them to thrive as well educated citizens into adulthood. Which is why ultimately, if a student is incapable of effectively doing those things by the end of their high school years, they are left in a disadvantageous position that can lead to negative outcomes in the lives of students who were simply not ready to be thrown into the fire. So what are some solutions to this problem? Although these consequences are severe, there are still practical steps that parents, educators, and communities can take to reverse the decline in literacy among America’s youth.

Children will be more likely to read at a proficient level if their parents establish an environment that invites them to do so—less distractions equals more time to read and learn. In an article written by Sierra Filucci (March 4th, 2021) published in Natgeokids.com, “Setting up some screen-free times and zones in your house encourages kids to find something else to do… Then make reading easy: “Have some books you think might appeal lying around, to tempt kids who are looking for something to do.” Encouraging kids to want to set aside screens and read books at home is an effective strategy to form a healthy routine and one that will help students when it comes time to read in class. While a child is in school, teachers can also implement strategies to ensure students are reading at a proficient level. According to Andrew Boryga (Nov. 7, 2025) published on edutopia.org, “In a 2025 study (at Utah State University) fourth-graders who participated in frequent repeated read-aloud sessions outperformed peers by 20 to 35 percent on measures of accuracy, speed, vocabulary, and overall reading proficiency.”  Solving America’s literacy crisis will require cooperation between parents and teachers,  but change is necessary to ensure future generations are properly educated and set up for success in school, the workforce, and life as a whole. 

The literacy crisis in America is one that has come as a result of numerous factors including increasing digital media consumption in students hindering the learned skill of reading from properly developing as it should on a biological level, and a failure on behalf of the education system to properly teach its students a proper curriculum to best set them up for successful learning. These factors end up leaving students unprepared for entering the real world and facing demanding courseloads in college or in the workforce. In order to combat this issue, parents can aim to reduce screen time in their children and instill proper reading habits by promoting books that cater to a child’s age range and personal likings. Reading isn't a privilege, it's a superpower. It is the bridge to obtain knowledge. If we do not equip our youth with the tools to read proficiently, we risk losing this vital foundation.

Sources:

Ma, A., & Feathers, T. (2025, September 9). High school students’ scores fall in reading and math. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/naep-reading-math-scores-12th-grade-c18d6e3fbc125f12948cc70cb85a520a

‌Heubeck, E. (2024, January 15). Is Too Much Screen Time, Too Early, Hindering Reading Comprehension? Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/is-too-much-screen-time-too-early-hindering-reading-comprehension/2024/01

Sager, J. (2024, September 30). What the Balanced Literacy Approach Gets Wrong About Teaching Kids to Read - Ignite Reading. Ignite Reading. https://ignite-reading.com/insights/balanced-literacy-approach-teaching-kids-to-read/

Nichols, M. (2026, April 23). Easy graders make real life harder - Badger Institute. Badger Institute. https://www.badgerinstitute.org/easy-graders-make-real-life-harder/

The, C. (2024, October 15). Why college students are struggling to read full books. Theweek; The Week. https://theweek.com/education/college-students-read-books

Screen time is up—here’s how to refocus on reading. (2024, June 2). Family. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/article/screen-time-is-up-refocus-on-reading-coronavirus

‌Boryga, A. (2024, October 18). How to Make Read-Alouds Fun and Effective for All Ages. Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-to-make-read-alouds-fun-and-effective-for-all-ages