SINGAPORE, November 4, 2026 — Singapore has introduced an initiative encouraging citizens to read for at least 15 minutes a day, offering financial rewards as part of efforts to curb excessive social media scrolling and promote healthier digital habits.
According to a report published by Hum News, the programme, run under the National Library Board, allows participants to record their daily reading sessions through a government website.
Under the initiative, participants earn 20 virtual coins for completing a reading session of 15 minutes or longer. Only one session per day can be counted towards the rewards.
Participants who complete 50 daily reading sessions can earn one Singapore dollar, equivalent to 1,000 virtual coins.
Programme Aims to Improve Focus and Critical Thinking
The initiative uses a gamified approach to make reading a regular habit while encouraging concentration, critical thinking and imagination.
National Library Board chief Melissa Thom said sustainable reading habits can be developed through small, achievable steps rather than demanding targets.
She noted that people today can consume hundreds of headlines, watch videos and obtain summaries of almost any subject within seconds. The programme therefore begins with a manageable goal of just 15 minutes of reading each day.
Concerns Over Excessive Social Media Use
Singapore is also considering further measures to reduce the negative effects of social media on young people, including a proposal to introduce daily limits on social media use.
The government has previously used financial incentives to encourage healthier activities. These have included supermarket vouchers for walking and rewards for achieving daily step targets.
Through the reading initiative, authorities hope that modest financial incentives will encourage people to spend less time scrolling on screens and more time engaging with books.
Singapore Students Rank Highly in Reading
The programme comes as Singaporean students have demonstrated strong reading performance internationally. The Hum News report states that Singapore’s 15-year-old students ranked first globally in reading proficiency in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
The initiative aims to build on that achievement by encouraging reading beyond the classroom and making it part of everyday life.
By combining simple daily targets with financial rewards, Singapore hopes to strengthen reading habits and address concerns about excessive screen time.
