Will 2026 be the year when we return to reading? More than a hope, almost a ritual of manifestation

Over the past ten years, we've convinced ourselves that "being informed" meant endlessly scrolling a feed and that relaxing meant watching videos without thinking too much. Essentially, we've grown accustomed to a life made more of micro-stimuli than of real moments. Until now. According to several cultural analysts, 2026 will mark a turning point. Not a return to the Stone Age, but to something much more natural: the ability to be present in the moment and focus. Within this shift, something that seemed impossible just a few years ago is emerging: a massive return to reading. Not just because it’s "good for you" or "something we should do," but because more and more people are realizing that reading is one of the few concrete tools for detoxing from digital overload.

Reading well as cognitive self-defense

The return to books is not a romantic or nostalgic gesture: neuroscientists have been saying for years that reading improves attentional capacity, and we have forgotten how to do it. We no longer know how to read well, without interrupting ourselves every 12 seconds. If reading is to become a new ritual of authenticity, then we must make it accessible, which means starting with simple and concrete actions.

How to start reading again in 2026

The first step is the most counterintuitive: set aside 10 minutes a day, no more. The heroic idea of "Starting tomorrow, I’ll read for an hour" fails 95% of the time, whereas ten minutes is enough to reactivate the attention muscle and, most importantly, it’s sustainable in real life. But those ten minutes must be dedicated to something you truly desire: read what you enjoy, not what you “should.” No obligatory classics or dense manuals unless you really want them. The first months are for rebuilding the habit, not for cultural status. Thrillers, fantasy, chick-lit, pop memoirs: choose something that draws you in. There’s also a practical aspect often overlooked: reduce physical friction. The book should be the first object within reach, on your bedside table, in your bag, on the desk, next to the sofa. If you have to look for it, the phone wins. For many, the most effective solution is using a slow e-reader: no notifications and no extra apps. A space designed only for reading, free from digital overload.

Finding a space to pick up a book

Reading works even better if it has a specific place in your day: choose a fixed "no-screen" moment, whether the last half hour before sleep, the metro ride, your morning coffee, or meals. It’s in these spaces that reading becomes a habit, not just a goal. Finally, there’s the social dimension: sharing what you read. Book clubs, even small ones, turn a solitary practice into a shared habit. Reading with others, or even just talking about it, increases motivation and creates a sense of continuity that solidifies the habit.

Why are we returning to reading Now?

Because we are approaching a threshold that, like it or not, in 2026 will become impossible to ignore. For some time, we have been living in a state of constant saturation: screens are everywhere, from work to leisure, from relationships to managing emotions. The distinction between online and offline has almost vanished, and we are now hyper-stimulated at every moment. It is precisely from this invisible fatigue that the growing desire for activities with a different pace arises—slower, more human. Reading, in this scenario, is almost an act of resistance: a natural barrier against constant noise. At the same time, what once seemed a niche indulgence - digital detox - is becoming a necessity. It will no longer be the brave choice of those who want to "disappear from social media," but a hygienic habit, like drinking enough water or getting enough sleep. And when you limit scrolling, a void automatically appears. The question is: what do you fill it with instead of the next reel? This is where books, ebooks, slow magazines, and podcasts over three minutes come in, anything that requires focus instead of the ultra-fast stimuli we’ve grown addicted to.

The rebound effect

There’s also a phenomenon psychologists call the rebound effect: the more technology becomes pervasive, and in 2026 we’ll experience its most pervasive form, thanks to the full integration of AI into our habits, the greater the need for real, unmediated experiences. It’s as if the brain, after a certain digital threshold, demands the opposite: something tangible, silent, not optimized by any algorithm. Reading responds precisely to this impulse. A book doesn’t vibrate, send notifications, or demand anything. Instead, it gives you back a mental space that many of us have lost. It’s not about flipping through fifty books a year or compiling endless Goodreads lists. It’s about reclaiming a quality of attention we’ve sacrificed without noticing. In 2026, reading will be our way to be present again and to regain a measure of depth in an increasingly superficial world.