In an effort to address declining reading habits, Singapore recently launched a government-backed initiative that offers cash rewards to citizens who log their reading activity on a official website. While the program is not intended to provide a significant income, it aims to incentivize a daily habit by rewarding participants for their time spent reading.
The structure of the incentive is modest: users must complete 50 reading sessions of at least 15 minutes each to earn one Singapore dollar, which is approximately £0.59. Furthermore, participants are limited to logging just one session per day. Despite the low earning potential, behavioural scientists and psychologists suggest the scheme could be a useful tool to help reverse the decline in reading.
Jonathan Haidt, a psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, noted that while financial motivation varies, children generally respond to rewards to some degree. He suggested the scheme is likely to have a beneficial effect on habit formation. Lory Barile, an associate professor in economics at the University of Warwick, supports this, noting that evidence shows consistent repetition of a behavior helps it become more automatic over time.
Ivo Vlaev, a professor of behavioural psychology at the National University of Singapore, argues that the initiative should not be viewed as a standard wage, but rather as a trigger. Because the monetary reward is small, it functions as an immediate signal of progress rather than compensation for labor. Once a participant has established the routine of reading, the intrinsic satisfaction of the activity often takes over, helping to bridge the gap between initial intent and actual action.
Patrick Taylor, director of education at the Behavioural Insights Team, pointed out that the gamification of the experience—using streaks, goal-setting, and progress tracking—may be more impactful than the money itself. By framing reading in manageable 15-minute bursts around daily routines like commuting or bedtime, the program mimics the immediate feedback loops found in digital habits.
The concept is particularly relevant for those who want to read but struggle to initiate the activity. Katy Milkman, a professor at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, suggested that such rewards can tip the scales for people who are already intrinsically motivated. She further noted that because governments already subsidize various forms of education, providing incentives for reading is a logical step.
International comparisons exist in the form of non-monetary programs. In the UK, schemes like primary school rainbow certificates or The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge reward participants with badges and honors to foster a sense of achievement. Experts suggest that future pilots could compare financial payouts with these symbolic rewards.
Haidt proposed testing several variations to optimize results: assigning groups to receive cash, others to receive books as rewards, and some to compete for non-monetary recognition. A true control group would also be necessary to measure natural reading rates without any external intervention. These trials could help researchers determine exactly what drives engagement and whether specific incentive structures provide more sustainable habits than others. The report also notes that the scheme shouldn’t be thought of as “paying people to read” in a conventional economic sense – a dollar every few weeks is obviously not enough to compensate participants for the time they’ve invested. The report also notes that c ould the solution to the reading crisis lie in paying people to put down their phones and pick up a book. The report also notes that your streak continues and you make progress towards a goal”, logging reading time and accumulating points means participants “receive an immediate signal that the behaviour has been recognised. The report also notes that but a key element of the Singapore scheme hinges on introducing a short-term reward for the activity, mimicking the immediate dopamine hit of scrolling, we all know reading has long-term benefits. The report also notes that in fact, the “gamified” element may be “smarter” than the financial reward offered, says Patrick Taylor, director of education at the Behavioural Insights Team (which originated in David Cameron’s Cabinet Office, also known as the “nudge unit”). “Having a manageable 15-minute daily goal, built around existing routines like commuting or bedtime, with streaks and tracking to keep progress visible” are the aspects that.
