The core message here is simple – stop treating Gen-Z like pariahs and meet them where they are.

Indonesia has long grappled with low reading interest, evidenced by dismal PISA scores (359 in 2022) and a UNESCO ratio of 0.001% back in 2012 (meaning one in one thousand were keen readers).

Globally, it ranks 30th in books read per person annually (5.91), with just 129 hours allocated to reading. Regional disparities persist, from 79.99% in Yogyakarta to 38.83% in Papua Mountains.

Gen Z’s Emerging Enthusiasm

Amidst digitalisation, Generation Z (born 1997-2012) offers hope as potential bookworms. Seriously!

Indicators include surging attendance at events like the 2025 International Book Fair, dominated by youth and yielding thousands of sales.

Social media trends such as Bookstagram and BookTok foster communities of readers, writers, and activists.

Spaces like Gramedia Jalma in Jakarta serve as ‘third places’ for relaxation and connection, fuelling FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and engagement.

National indices reflect this uptick: the Reading Interest Index rose from 66.77% in 2023 to 72.44% in 2024, while the Community Literacy Development Index hit 73.52, exceeding targets.

Challenges and Opportunities

Digital distractions supposedly pose risks, eroding critical literacy through ‘brain rot’ from trivial content. Not a view I share, but allowing there is some substance here, integrating deep reading with tech – via ebooks, audiobooks or gadget-free time, for example – can counter this.

For publishers, this resurgence promises industry revival, but it demands accessible, affordable content.

Implications for Government and Industry

To sustain momentum, subsidies for book prices and enhanced libraries as vibrant hubs are essential. These steps could boost competitiveness and invigorate sluggish publishing and printing sectors.

While focussed on Indonesia here, one must ask: is Gen Z’s reading revival an international trend we are missing elsewhere?

Global surveys show mixed signals, and Australia’s misguided banning of social media for young people will backfire spectacularly, not least because, as this report shows, social media is driving reading interest, not inhibiting it.

The core message here is simple – stop treating Gen-Z like pariahs and meet them where they are.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsletter.