Singapore has launched a programme encouraging people to read for at least 15 minutes a day. For meeting the daily target, participants are awarded virtual coins that can be exchanged for a small cash reward.
The government hopes this will counter the habit of endlessly scrolling through short-form content on social media, The Guardian writes.
The programme was launched by Singapore’s National Library Board. Under the initiative, participants must read for at least 15 minutes a day and log it on a government platform. Each such session earns 20 virtual coins. Only one session per day can be counted.
To receive 1 Singapore dollar, you need to accumulate 1,000 coins – meaning you must read for at least 15 minutes over 50 days.
Melissa Tam, head of the National Library Board, explained that the programme is built on the principle of forming habits through small but regular actions.
“We live in a world of extraordinary abundance of content, information and stimuli. At any moment we can browse hundreds of headlines, watch videos or get a short summary of almost anything,” she said.
She added that this is why organisers decided to start with a simple goal: reading for 15 minutes a day—on the bus, before bed or during lunch.
Singapore is also discussing ways to make social media less harmful for young people, including the possible introduction of a daily limit on time spent using it.
According to a recent study, doomscrolling and social media addiction are among the most common negative phenomena faced by young people.
The ReadSG programme uses elements of gamification—points, reading-day streaks and personal goals. The authorities believe this will help improve people’s concentration, critical thinking and imagination.
At the same time, despite concerns about reading culture, 15-year-old pupils in Singapore ranked first in the world for reading in the PISA 2025 study, ahead of students from China and Taiwan.