(Feature Impact) For many adults, the slow-burning summers of childhood are a thing of the past. Unscheduled days and unhurried weeks have turned into a rushed season of endless activities and packed calendars.
In fact, according to a new survey from ThriftBooks, the largest independent online bookseller of new and used books, three-quarters of U.S. adults who read said summer moves faster now than it did when they were growing up. Readers across the country are turning back the clocks by opening a book with 56% of those surveyed reporting reading makes summer feel like it lasts longer, and most agree it helps them slow down in a way other forms of downtime simply do not.
Somewhere along the way, digital devices took the place of traditional books with 60% of readers saying screens take away from the feeling of summer, including the activities most associated with childhood: being outdoors, family time and reading.
For readers, books may be one of the simplest ways to bring back that endless summer feeling. However, wanting to read and being permitted to read are different — 74% said they sometimes or often feel reading for pleasure is only allowed after everything is done, such as doing the dishes. The single biggest obstacle is not a shortage of time but the sense that reading is not productive enough to justify the hobby.
This tension includes Gen Z. While they enter summer more optimistic about reading than older generations, they also feel more burdened by it and are most likely to feel they need to earn it first, despite 77% of Gen Z readers saying the activity makes summer feel longer compared to 44% of Baby Boomers.
These findings suggest summer often feels shorter because schedules and distractions leave less room to slow down. To find your own inspiration to crack open a new book or turn to the next chapter for a slower summer, visit ThriftBooks.com.
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