---
title: "Singapore pays citizens to read books instead of doomscrolling"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/85746/singapore-pays-citizens-to-read-books-instead-of-doomscrolling
published: 2026-09-20T12:50:00Z
language: en
author: "Cristina Prisacari"
section: "International"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Singapore pays citizens to read books instead of doomscrolling

> Singapore has launched a five-year nationwide campaign paying citizens to read books, deploying gamified financial rewards to pull residents away from smartphone screens and counter declining attention spans.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/2e9e0509-ecae-486a-b86c-9d2e6bade52f.jpg)

Singapore has launched a five-year nationwide campaign paying citizens to read books, deploying gamified financial rewards to pull residents away from smartphone screens and counter declining attention spans.

**Combatting digital distractions**

Under the newly launched initiative, participants who log at least 15 minutes of reading per day earn 20 virtual coins, with a cap of one session daily. Accumulating 1,000 coins yields one Singapore dollar (approx. $0.80), requiring 50 days of sustained daily reading to unlock the direct monetary incentive.

The program comes amid mounting concerns among educators and psychologists over prolonged doomscrolling and short-form video consumption. Specialists noted that the low 15-minute threshold is deliberately designed to help lapsed readers ease back into sustained, deep-reading habits without cognitive friction.

**Bridging academic success and leisure**

While Singapore consistently ranks near the top of global standardized assessments for reading literacy, local authorities observed a pronounced drop-off in voluntary reading as students advance through high-stakes examination tiers. For many, academic pressure displaces reading for pleasure, creating habits that persist well into adulthood.

To reverse this trend, the gamified reward framework will run in a pilot phase through the end of the year, with developers planning ongoing feature updates based on user engagement. The initiative also features a philanthropic dimension: if readers collectively log 7.5 million minutes, corporate sponsors will donate up to 150,000 Singapore dollars (approx. $118,000) to charity.

While critics argue that literacy should remain an intrinsic pursuit rather than a transactional task, proponents maintain that behavioral nudges offer a practical tool to counter algorithmic screen dependence.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**
***
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