Social media ban is an opportunity to encourage young people to read

Australians are reading less than ever, according to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. But, an RMIT expert says the upcoming social media ban could be the perfect opportunity for parents and policy makers to encourage children to read more.

Dr Susan Rook, Lecturer in Primary Literacy

"Social media is one of the many competing attractions for children, so by removing that barrier, we can hopefully use this opportunity to encourage more children to read.

"This is so important as when children read for pleasure, it's shown to address social inequity and helps to develop empathy, better well-being and raises employability prospects for those children.

"I would encourage parents to be aware of what their child likes to read. Children are often told what to read, and while this is sometimes necessary, it's really important that they have freedom of choice to pick books that excite and motivate them to read more.

"Additionally, we should be ensuring school curriculums promote reading for pleasure. There is a real impetus among policy makers, schools and communities to push this agenda."

Dr Susan Rook is an expert in children's literature. Her research explores a range of creative pedagogies to engage children to read. She is interested in developing children's agency and criticality when interacting with texts.

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