A recent Guardian article reported that, in the UK, the number of children from age eight to 18 who read is at an all time low.
Since the increased use of mobile devices in our society, fewer young people choose to read over online activities, as it can be perceived as boring and requires more concentration.
Reading doesn’t appear to offer the same excitement or instant gratification as the numerous engaging videos and games accessed on phones and tablets, which are known to boost dopamine, a neurotransmitter which gives a sense of satisfaction, with use.
However, reading should still be deemed as one of the best choices of entertainment, with books helping us to learn about the world around us, allowing us to escape into other worlds and provoking empathy from readers.
Reading is known to benefit the general progression of literacy skills, can help young people to relax, as well as developing their emotional intelligence.
These are benefits that cannot be found easily in the other, more popular, digital hobbies of today.
I spoke to Jo Coldwell, the manager of Red Lion Books, who was able to provide a first-hand insight into what staff have noticed about the demographic of people buying books locally.
Whilst the general consensus is that there are fewer young readers in the UK, Red Lion Books has seen “an increase in young people reading because we are seeing this in the shop”.
Jo Coldwell also seems to be less pessimistic about the influence of digital content accessed by young people.
“I think young people are still digesting ‘words’ – but in a different way. Podcasts, short articles, YouTube videos are still supplying content.”
This is overall positive news for Colchester – a city that seems to be anomalous in the national decline of reading.
Given Red Lion Books claimed the title of best independent bookshop in the East of England in 2021 and best bookshop in Colchester in 2024, meaning it is a desirable location attracting young people to buy books.
As well as providing books for those of all ages, including to Colchester Sixth Form College, Red Lion Books offers additional routes into engaging with literature.
For example, it runs book clubs for children and young adults, exclusive author events, creative workshops and the Red Lion Books Jólabókafloð (Christmas book flood), an Icelandic tradition of gifting books to loved ones on Christmas Eve.
Finally, when I asked why reading is so important, Jo replied: “The British philosopher Francis Bacon is credited with saying ‘knowledge is power’ and it really is. It is vital that young people (who are the future!) are informed”.
Most young people get their information online these days, but its often not as reliable as the information you can get from books.
For more information about Red Lion Books, you can find them on the high street or have a look on their Instagram @redlionbooks.
