We’ve all been there. You buy a beautiful, hardcover middle-grade novel, and it sits on the nightstand gathering dust while your kid watches a 10-hour loop of Skibidi Toilet or calls everything "Ohio" (which, for the uninitiated, basically means "weird" or "cringe" in Gen Alpha speak).

The reality is that books are competing with apps designed by literal neuroscientists to keep our kids' brains flooded with dopamine. A book is a slow burn; YouTube is a firehose. If we want our kids to build reading habits, we have to stop treating books like the "healthy broccoli" and start making them feel as engaging as the digital worlds they already inhabit.

We aren't just trying to get them to pass English class. Reading is the ultimate "deep work" exercise. In a world of 15-second clips, the ability to sustain focus on a single narrative for 30 minutes is a superpower. It’s about empathy, vocabulary, and—honestly—giving their overstimulated nervous systems a break.

But we have to meet them where they are. If they are obsessed with Minecraft, don't force-feed them Little House on the Prairie. Give them the Diary of a Minecraft Zombie series.

If your kid hasn't picked up a book for fun in months, do not start with a 500-page classic. You need "high-interest, low-barrier" entries.

Stop the "graphic novels aren't real books" talk right now. They are fantastic for building visual literacy and keeping kids who are used to screens engaged.

If your kid "hates reading," they might just struggle with the mechanics of decoding text. Audiobooks allow them to enjoy the story without the labor.

For teens, reading has become a "vibe." If it looks good on a shelf or fits a specific "aesthetic," they’re more likely to dive in.

Check out our guide on how to use TikTok to find books your teen will actually like

In many Screenwise households, we use a "1-for-1" or "2-for-1" rule. For every 30 minutes of reading (or "Skill Time"), the child earns 30 minutes of "Entertainment Time" (gaming, YouTube, etc.). This reframes reading not as a chore, but as the key that unlocks their favorite digital playground.

Kids play Fortnite because their friends are there. They use Discord to talk about the game. Reading is often a solo activity, which can feel lonely to a social kid.

If your kid refuses a physical book but will spend an hour on Epic! or reading fanfiction on Wattpad, that counts. Just be aware that Wattpad has a lot of adult content, so you’ll want to keep an eye on that.

Learn more about the safety risks of Wattpad and fanfiction sites

Focus on series. Once they fall in love with a character in The Bad Guys, they have 15+ more books to go through. It removes the "what do I read next?" friction.

This is where the "reading slump" usually hits because school reading gets harder and social lives get louder. Look for "edge-of-your-seat" pacing.

Let them read adult books if they’re ready. Many "Young Adult" books are great, but some teens want to feel like they’re graduating to the "real" stuff.

You’ll hear parents complain that YouTube Shorts are "rotting" their kids' brains and making them unable to read. It’s not "rot"—it’s just a different type of stimulation. If we treat digital media as the enemy, our kids will hide it. If we treat it as one part of a balanced "media diet," we can advocate for books as the "slow food" that keeps their brains healthy.

A note on "Skill Time": If your kid is reading on a tablet, make sure notifications are OFF. A text message notification in the middle of a chapter is the ultimate focus-killer.

Building a reading habit in 2026 isn't about fighting technology; it's about integrating it. Use the Kindle app on their phone so they always have a book during "boring" moments (like waiting for practice to start). Use YouTube to watch book trailers.

The goal isn't to raise a kid who never looks at a screen. The goal is to raise a kid who knows that a screen can't give them the same magic that a truly great story can.

Ask our chatbot for more strategies on balancing screen time and reading