Singapore is paying its citizens to pick up a book and read for at least 15 minutes a day in an effort to reduce ‘doomscrolling’. Residents of the city-state will need to log 50 daily reading sessions of 15 minutes or more on a government website to earn S$1 (the equivalent of 74p in GBP or 78c in USD).
The addictive habit of spending an excessive amount of time scrolling social media apps, watching endless Reels and TikTok videos, and reading negative posts known as ‘doomscrolling’ is thought to impact mental health, leaving users with negative thoughts and feelings, irritability, increasing anxiety, and raising levels of stress. Reading for pleasure meanwhile has been found to improve mental wellbeing, lower stress levels, lead to greater empathy and even lower the risk of dementia; according to a review from Universiy of Cambridge academics, Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr Christelle Langley, published in the journal Psychological Medicine.
The 2026 study found that these benefits could be reaped, regardless of your age and regardless of what you chose to read. The new initiative from Singapore hopes that ‘gamifying’ reading will replicate similar results, aiming to improve concentration, critical thinking and the imagination of Singaporeans.
This is not the first time that the Singapore government have used financial incentives to try to influence the behaviour of its citizens. Previous health-focused schemes have included getting people moving more with supermarket vouchers for walking, and prizes for hitting daily step targets.
Under the new initiative, points can be accrued through reading. Residents will have to log 50 daily reading sessions on the government website to earn S$1 (80c). A session of 15 minutes or more will be rewarded with 20 virtual coins, and 1,000 coins are needed for a dollar payment. Only one reading session can be logged each day.
The national library board’s chief, Melissa Tam, told the Straits Times: “We live in a world of extraordinary abundance, of content, information and stimulation.
“At any moment, we can scroll through hundreds of headlines, watch a video or get a summary of almost anything.
“We know that habits are built through small, consistent actions. So, we are starting with a simple goal: just read for 15 minutes a day. On the bus, before bed or over lunch.”
