What if you could earn money simply by picking up a book and reading for 15 minutes a day? Singapore is giving its citizens a reason to swap some of their doomscrolling time for reading, with a new government-backed initiative that rewards them for logging their reading minutes.
The city-state launched the ReadSG campaign, a five-year national programme aimed at nurturing reading habits. Introduced by the country's National Library Board (NLB) earlier this month.
The idea is straightforward: read a little every day, track your progress on a government website and collect rewards along the way.
Why Singapore wants people to read more
The initiative comes amid concerns about shrinking attention spans and the growing popularity of short-form digital content. Singapore's 2024 National Reading Habits Study identified a broader shift towards content that is short and easy to skim, rather than the sustained reading that requires deeper concentration.
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The NLB says long-form reading helps people develop critical thinking, understand different perspectives and use their imagination while navigating an increasingly complex world.
{{/usCountry}}The NLB says long-form reading helps people develop critical thinking, understand different perspectives and use their imagination while navigating an increasingly complex world.
{{/usCountry}}“While short-form content helps us stay informed, long-form reading strengthens attention, critical thinking and imagination,” the National Library Board’s chief Melissa Tam said in a statement cited by CNN.
She added: “Ultimately, we want to see a nation of readers who are curious, thoughtful, discerning and equipped to navigate an increasingly complex world.”
How the programme works
The campaign encourages citizens to begin with just 15 minutes of reading a day. Participants can log their reading sessions online and earn virtual coins, which can eventually be converted into small cash rewards.
Here's how the system works:
- A reading session of at least 15 minutes earns 20 virtual coins.
- Readers can log only one session per day.
- 1,000 virtual coins equal SG$1 (around $0.80).
It takes 50 days of reading to earn SG$1, assuming participants complete one qualifying session every day.
So, while the programme isn't going to make anyone rich, it does offer a little financial motivation to pick up a book.
The campaign's website presents 15 minutes as an achievable starting point, saying: “All it takes is 15 minutes a day to build a reading habit. That is about the time between three MRT stops, waiting for your bus, or enjoying your morning coffee. Small moments add up to big stories. Find out where reading 15 minutes a day can take you!”
Can 15 minutes of reading help fight brain rot?
The campaign's focus on short, manageable reading sessions is aimed at making the habit easier to build. Officials are using gamification, a system of tracking progress and earning rewards, to encourage regular participation.
Loh Chin Ee, who researches reading habits at Singapore's National Institute of Education, said the 15-minute target could be a practical starting point.
“For somebody who reads a lot, 15 minutes might feel very short, but I think it is a nice, sweet spot,” Loh told CNN.
She also pointed to a change in how people consume written content, particularly online.
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“What has happened is that many people still do read when you talk about reading words on a screen. But the kind of deep reading, spending time and being committed to reading may occur less often.”
The programme comes as educators and researchers grapple with concerns about “brain rot” — a term used to describe perceived declines in cognitive engagement associated with excessive consumption of shallow online content.
A recent study identified doomscrolling and addiction among the major social media-related harms affecting young people in Singapore, The Guardian reported.
Previous incentive based approach
The reading campaign is not the Singapore government's first attempt to use financial incentives to encourage behavioural change.
Previous health-focused initiatives have included – supermarket vouchers for participating in walking trails and prizes for meeting daily step targets.
ReadSG's programme is currently in a pilot phase that will run until the end of the year. The NLB has said new features and enhancements will be introduced based on participant feedback.
Participants can also contribute to a charity drive, with the organisation aiming to generate 7.5 million reading minutes and raise up to SG$150,000 (approximately $118,300) this year, CNN reported.
The Singapore's reading scores are already among the world's best. According to The Guardian, Singapore's 15-year-old students topped the global reading rankings in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), ahead of China and Taiwan.
The broader challenge, therefore, is to encourage reading beyond the classroom and exam preparation, making it a habit that continues into everyday life.
Singapore is not the only Asian country exploring ways to strengthen its reading culture.
In South Korea, parks and areas near rivers are transformed into reading spaces during favourable weather, giving people opportunities to read outdoors.
In Japan, books are commonly available in everyday settings such as cafes and trains, making reading more accessible during daily routines.
Could this backfire?
Charissa Ng, principal clinical psychologist at Putra Star Care in Singapore, said cash incentives may work differently depending on a person's existing interest in reading.
“Monetary rewards work well for people who are already somewhat interested in reading, but for those with no existing interest at all, cash incentives may be a hard sell for cultivating a lasting, intrinsic motivation to read,” Ng said, as reported by CNN.
While financial incentives can encourage people to start a habit, researchers have raised questions about whether rewards can help sustain it in the long run.