As the summer reading season begins in earnest, a third of Americans say they're reading fewer books for personal enjoyment than they did 10 years ago — a decline that cuts across age and education levels.

About half who report reading less say it's because they are too busy and don't have enough free time, and about half also say there are too many distractions competing for their attention. More than a third say their own attention spans have gotten worse over the past 10 years.

So what are people doing instead? More than half who are reading less say they're spending more time watching movies and television, as well as spending more time on social media — the latter reason being cited by nearly two in three adults under 30. 

More than a third are engaged in more gaming, and this is particularly true among men under 50, more than half of whom say they are spending more time playing games instead of reading for pleasure. The top answer for women under 50 is spending more time on social media. 

But it's not all sitting in front of screens: about a third of both men and women are doing more physical activities.

How, and what, are people reading?

While most readers still prefer the printed page to digital or via audiobooks, some of the most voracious readers have embraced digital formats — a third who read more than 20 books a year say they usually read them digitally.

Most readers rely on recommendations to some degree when deciding what books to read, and recommendations from friends and family are where many usually turn to. Beyond that, older readers tend to read book reviews for recommendations, while readers under 30 are far more likely to consult social media and influencers.

As to what they prefer to read, fiction is more popular than nonfiction, driven by a clear preference among many women (men are divided).

Why fiction? The top reasons picked are for entertainment, to relax and escape, for good stories and characters, and to use their imagination.

For those who prefer fiction to nonfiction, mysteries edge out science fiction and fantasy as the most popular genre overall, and they are favored by both women and readers who read the most books per year (though men are more likely to pick up sci-fi and fantasy).

For those who prefer nonfiction, history is the top choice (the clear favorite among men), while women are more divided between books about religions, philosophy, or spirituality and books about self-help and wellness.

How many books are you reading?

Though many Americans are reading fewer books, most haven't given up reading altogether: about a third read upwards of six books a year, including 12% who read more than 20.  And it's not just older people who are reading books: younger adults read about the same number of books as older adults, though women read more books than men. 

A quarter of Americans, however, say they don't generally read any books at all.

This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,023 U.S. adults interviewed between June 2-4, 2026. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.8 points.