Singapore has launched a scheme that pays citizens small cash rewards for reading for at least 15 minutes a day, as the city-state seeks to tackle the growing habit of doomscrolling.
The gamified initiative, launched this month, aims to encourage reading while improving concentration, critical thinking and imagination among Singaporeans, reports The Guardian.
Under the programme, participants earn virtual coins for completing daily reading sessions, which can later be exchanged for cash. They must record 50 reading sessions on a government website to earn S$1 (80 cents).
Each session lasting at least 15 minutes earns 20 virtual coins, with 1,000 coins equivalent to a S$1 payment. Participants can log only one reading session each day.
National Library Board Chief Melissa Tam said sustainable reading habits could be developed through small and achievable steps.
“We live in a world of extraordinary abundance, of content, information and stimulation,” she told the Straits Times.
“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.”
The Singapore government is also considering measures to reduce the harmful effects of social media on young people, including introducing a daily time limit.
A recent study found that doomscrolling and addiction caused the most harm to young people.
Singapore has previously used financial incentives to encourage behavioural changes. Its health-focused initiatives have included supermarket vouchers for walking and prizes for reaching daily step targets.
Despite the government’s concerns about reading habits, Singapore’s 15-year-old students recently topped the global reading rankings in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), outperforming students from China and Taiwan.
