Submitted by Pam Peterson
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Last Updated:September 16, 2026, 17:10 IST
Launched by the National Library Board on September 6, uses a gamified system where participants log their reading time, collect virtual coins and eventually redeem them for cash.
Singapore has launched ReadSG, a five-year national reading movement that encourages citizens to read for at least 15 minutes a day.
For a generation used to typing LOL, BRB, IDK and TBH, reading a few pages of a book can almost feel like a deliberate act of patience. Now, Singapore is putting a small price on that patience.
Singapore has launched ReadSG, a five-year national reading movement that encourages citizens to read for at least 15 minutes a day. The programme, launched by the National Library Board (NLB) on September 6, uses a gamified system where participants log their reading time, collect virtual coins and eventually redeem them for cash.
Launched earlier this month by the National Library Board, the idea is simple. Log at least 15 minutes of reading a day on the CrowdTask SG platform or app, and you earn 20 virtual coins. Collect 1,000 coins and you get S$1 (about 80 US cents). Only one session counts per day, so it takes 50 solid reading days to pocket that single dollar. Nobody’s getting rich, but the point isn’t the cash, it’s the habit
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“While short-form content helps us stay informed, long-form reading strengthens attention, critical thinking and imagination,” says National Library Board chief Melissa Tam. Officials are hoping this gentle gamification can push back against what everyone’s calling “brain rot”—that foggy feeling from endless doomscrolling.
And let’s be real, the language shift is wild. Gen Z texts look like a different dialect these days. Instead of “I don’t know,” it’s “idk.” “See you later” becomes “cya.” Full sentences? Rare. You’ll get “ngl this is mid fr fr” or “lowkey obsessed rn, no cap.” AI chatbots and constant short-form video have made proper spelling optional and slang the default. Deep reading feels almost rebellious when your brain is trained on 15-second clips and autocorrect that finishes your thoughts for you.
Singapore isn’t starting from zero, 89% of adults still read something more than once a week but only 28% actually pick up books. The campaign also has a charity angle: collective reading minutes can unlock up to S$150,000 for community programmes. The pilot runs till year-end, with tweaks based on feedback.
NLB chief executive Melissa Tam said long-form reading can strengthen attention, critical thinking and imagination, skills that can become harder to exercise when people constantly jump between pieces of short-form content.
The campaign’s timing is particularly interesting. Singapore’s 2024 National Reading Habits Study found that only around three in 10 adults read books weekly.
ReadSG is not only about earning virtual coins. Its Read for Good initiative will also count reading minutes towards charitable fundraising, while other programmes include book giveaways and reading events.
Some critics roll their eyes and say people should read for love, not loot. Others figure any nudge that gets someone past the algorithm is worth trying. As one local put it, better people miss their stop while reading than blast TikTok on the train.
Whether a dollar can outlast dopamine hits remains to be seen. But in a place famous for national campaigns that actually stick, Singapore’s betting that 15 quiet minutes a day might just rewire a few attention spans—and maybe even help the next generation remember how to spell whole words again.