Literacy, the ability to read, used to be a rare thing. Only 200 years ago, as few as 12% of people around the world could read at a basic level. Today, that global number is around 87%, and in the United States, 99% of adults can read at least at around a fifth-grade level.
In the long arc of history, that’s incredible progress. But there’s a catch. In the U.S., nearly a third of adults are functionally illiterate, which means they “face significant challenges when trying to comprehend or use written information in practical contexts,” according to Babbel.
In other words, there’s a huge difference between being able to read words and understand sentences and being truly, functionally literate.
Mental health coach explains the massive literacy gap
Dr. Shanté Holley, an English professor and popular, trauma-informed mental health coach on social media, recently did a deep dive into this topic on her YouTube channel.
“There are so many people that just don’t understand nuance, satire, entendre, or irony,” she says in a video. “Illiteracy cripples your ability to read the world and the room. … The difference between people who regularly wrestle with complex ideas vs. people who primarily consume clickbait content is vast.”
She goes on to explain that literacy goes far beyond just being able to read. It’s about being able to understand what you’re reading. In 2026, access to information is almost unlimited. The early days of the printing press, when books and printed text were luxuries for the wealthy, are long gone. Now it’s the ability to interpret that information that is the true superpower.
Have you ever seen a thing online and immediately scrolled to the comments in order to figure out how you should feel about it?
Most of us are guilty, and Holley calls this “outsourcing your intellect.” Even Google’s AI Overviews take answers that were nearly instant to begin with and save us the trouble of having to even read the original source at all. This outsourcing can have worse effects than just deciding whether to Like a social media post.
“In real actual life, think of when you’re applying for a mortgage, or there’s a health directive at the hospital, when you need to interpret certain clauses in insurance policies, when there are tax changes in your community … and you don’t understand, then you are at the mercy of someone else reading that situation for you,” Holley says.
She says there’s a growing number of people who can only recite talking points developed by others because they lack the ability (or the effort) to analyze things on their own. And when these people step into voting booths, it becomes dangerous for everyone. But not only that, mismatches in literacy can erode friendships, marriages, and more.
It’s a brilliant plea, and well worth watching in its entirety:
Literacy is a massive driver of success and happiness
Enough doom and gloom. In the video, Holley says that the “elite,” like billionaires and tech CEOs, barely use—and keep their kids far away from—the very social media and technology they’ve created. Famously, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates insisted on low-tech households for their children.
Instead, they study power, politics, art, and history. Their kids receive classical educations at the best schools. And while Holley says that literacy does not require a formal education or a fancy Ivy League degree, the point remains that the people in charge know far too well that true knowledge and critical thinking do not come from bite-sized content on the Internet.
Everyone knows that reading is good for you. But not everyone knows just how outrageously good having strong literacy skills really is.
Mental health
Poor literacy has been strongly associated with negative mental health outcomes like anxiety and depression. Strong literacy skills give people increased self-confidence, self-worth, and a sense of agency in the world, which contributes to greater resilience.
Wealth
Our income is strongly related to our literacy. Literacy Texas writes, “Nationwide, low-literate adults struggle to earn a living wage, participate in the democratic process, and manage their family’s health and finances simply because they lack the ability to read, write and comprehend.”
Strong critical thinkers who excel at writing and reading have a leg up financially in more ways than you can count.
Longevity
Researchers at Yale University recently discovered that “people who read books regularly had a 20% lower risk of dying over the next 12 years” compared to less literate peers.
Literacy and reading comprehension skills can degrade if not used. But they can also be rebuilt and improved just as easily.
Here’s what Holley suggests to improve your literacy in just a few minutes per day:
Read one longform article per day
She recommends the AP, Reuters, The Atlantic, or The New Yorker to start. “Not to agree with it, but to practice reading something that has your full attention,” she says.
Read one nonfiction book per quarter
Most American adults read fewer than four books per year, with an astounding 40% reading zero. Now, there are a lot of ways to access information and knowledge besides books, but the effect is only compounded by time spent on social media. Holley suggests nonfiction to grow your knowledge base, but fiction is just as effective for developing your mastery of context, subtext, irony, and language.
Replace 20 minutes of scrolling time with a lecture or documentary
Literacy is not just about reading; it’s about synthesizing information. Documentaries or TED Talks on YouTube are fair game for growing your knowledge base if they’re challenging you to process new ideas. Similarly, audiobooks are just as effective as print.
“The future belongs to the people who can make sense of the world, not just consume it,” Holley writes in the video’s caption.
It’s amazing to think about the incredible ripple effect that can happen when we trade just a few minutes per day of scrolling for reading.
