A third of Americans say they're reading fewer books

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. …