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reading crisis

The Reading Crisis, Country Culture, and Comment Sections

April 10, 2025·4 min read
reading crisis

Gen Z's Reading Habits Should Terrify Marketers?

If Young People Aren’t Reading, How Are You Reaching Them?

You’re not imagining that kids aren’t reading anymore. And Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t just putting down books; they’re checking out of it altogether. Cue the internet asking, “Why?” The answer seems to be a messy mix of declining literacy and academic disengagement. Teachers on TikTok aren’t exactly shocked—they’ve been saying for years that kids are struggling with focus, reading comprehension, and honestly, just showing up. And don’t even get us started on the comment sections, where people are straight-up admitting they haven’t finished a book in years.

It’s not just a classroom crisis, it’s a full-on cultural shift that marketers need to pay attention to. According to the National Literacy Institute, 54% of U.S. adults read at a sixth-grade level. If that’s the baseline for grown-ups, what are we dealing with for a generation raised on auto-captions and 15-second TikToks? Spoiler: they’re not just avoiding books—they’re skipping long-form content, tuning out dense instructions, and opting out of nuance. Unless, of course, it’s on YouTube.

This matters. Big time. STEM may be the go-to for “future-proof” skills, but literacy is still the foundation. Without it, how do we problem-solve, communicate, or even consume content properly? And people are catching on. Streamers are now hosting popcorn reading sessions where the drama's in the text, not the plot. Young people still want a connection to language—they just need a new way in.

For marketers, this moment demands a shift. Visual storytelling is essential, but the copy has to work harder: it needs to be clean, emotional, and instantly clear. And if brands are serious about reaching the next generation, investing in youth literacy might just be the savviest long-term play. Education isn’t just a policy issue anymore. It’s a brand strategy.

The City’s Got a New Obsession: Country Culture

Pre-pandemic, 'country' was an insult, but in today’s post-Cowboy Carter world, country is so in that even the city crowd is jumping on board. Whether it’s part of the shift toward conservative dressing or the trad wife content going viral, niche lifestyles that used to be judged are now aspirational. Trial rides are overun with newcomers rocking brand-new cowboy boots (and no nag), the rodeo is packed, and everyone’s craving slow summers spent on porches or floating on lakes.

But it’s not just cowboy boots and Kacey Musgraves. We’re also seeing a softer, domestic twist: trad mom energy. Think prairie dresses, Pinterest-perfect kitchens, soft parenting, and Stanley cups on every surface.

When polling our YouthTellers on whether they consider themselves “country,” 62.5% said they wouldn’t go that far—but they like the trends. Another 50% believe country style will continue until it fully blends into mainstream fashion and culture. Hobby interests are shifting fast, and we’re seeing country culture take over in ways we can't even fully list. But here’s a quick peek:

Forget Google, Let the Comments Handle It

“Give me your most unhinged hacks.” The only rule? Make it wild. Whether it’s navigating relationship drama, being more confident, figuring out how to fix a tech glitch, or dealing with burnout, users are increasingly posting with one goal: let the comments decide.

We asked our Youthtellers (ages 15-27), and here’s what we found: 43% of users actively read the comments to gather insights for their own lives. This crowd-driven advice model highlights that the comment section has become a kind of collective brain trust: part confessional, part group chat, part life manual.

And it works. Nearly two-thirds of users trust the advice they find, but they’re not falling for everything. Most still double-check with friends, family, or other sources. What wins them over? Personal stories. When someone shares their own experience, it hits harder than the usual generic tips or influencer fluff. TikTok isn’t just a time-suck—it’s where Gen Z comes to ask, “What would you do?”

*This article was originally posted on Substack. Click HERE to subscribe