"That's one thing that I'm a little questioned about. I usually reward my kids with a little more screen time or some pocket money when they read. But it can lead to them actually staying in the reading longer," she says.
Reading among children and young people has decreased in recent decades, and in Sweden the proportion of 15-year-olds who never read unless they have to, is growing. However, a survey from the Swedish Media Council shows a break in the trend. Reading is now increasing slightly among children and young people up to the age of 18. At the same time, many parents testify that it can be difficult to get their children to read in their spare time.
"Not like when I was young"
Anna Bergqvist works at Blackebergs gymnasium in Stockholm. In 2021, she was named Swedish Teacher of the Year in the City of Stockholm and was awarded the Swedish Academy's Swedish Teacher Prize the same year. But even though she loves to teach about literature, she understands that today's young people would rather do other things than read books.
"You can't expect it to be pleasurable to read like it was when I was young. Back then, reading was the only form of relaxation and escapism. I had no cell phone, no games, no internet. This meant that by the time I was twelve, I had already read a lot. There are many of my high school students who haven't read as much when they're 18-19 years old," she says.
But isn't reading in danger of becoming something negatively charged if you have to bribe children to read?
"The reactions I often encounter are that reading should be voluntary and not difficult. I strongly disagree. I think it's hard to read because children today read too little and get far too little amount of training. I think you have to exercise for it to be pleasurable," says Anna Bergqvist.