Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Are Americans losing the ability and desire to read?
In this episode, Ariana Guajardo sits down with Cameron Abrams, Policy Analyst for the Next Generation Texas campaign at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to discuss America’s declining reading habits and what the shift away from literature means for education and culture.
From shrinking attention spans and algorithm-driven content to the decline of the Western canon, Cameron explains how technology has changed the way Americans consume information and why returning to the great books is essential to preserving our shared cultural inheritance.
Topics covered include:
• Why fewer Americans are reading books
• How technology and social media are shortening attention spans
• The rise of bite-sized content and simplified writing
• How to rebuild the habit of reading
• BookTok and the changing literary marketplace
• Why the great books and the Western canon still matter
• How schools and universities have moved away from foundational texts
• The role of Bluebonnet Learning in restoring classical literature
• What classic works can teach young men about courage and masculinity
#Education #Literacy #Reading #booktok
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.
Funded by thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Foundation does not accept government funds or contributions to influence the outcomes of its research.
The public is demanding a different direction for their government, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation is providing the ideas that enable policymakers to chart that new course.
Website: texaspolicy.com
X: twitter.com/tppf
Facebook: facebook.com/texaspolicy
Instagram: instagram.com/texaspolicy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/texas-public-policy-foundation
Are Americans losing the ability and desire to read?
In this episode, Ariana Guajardo sits down with Cameron Abrams, Policy Analyst for the Next Generation Texas campaign at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to discuss America’s declining reading habits and what the shift away from literature means for education and culture.
From shrinking attention spans and algorithm-driven content to the decline of the Western canon, Cameron explains how technology has changed the way Americans consume information and why returning to the great books is essential to preserving our shared cultural inheritance.
Topics covered include:
• Why fewer Americans are reading books
• How technology and social media are shortening attention spans
• The rise of bite-sized content and simplified writing
• How to rebuild the habit of reading
• BookTok and the changing literary marketplace
• Why the great books and the Western canon still matter
• How schools and universities have moved away from foundational texts
• The role of Bluebonnet Learning in restoring classical literature
• What classic works can teach young men about courage and masculinity
#Education #Literacy #Reading #booktok
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.
Funded by thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Foundation does not accept government funds or contributions to influence the outcomes of its research.
The public is demanding a different direction for their government, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation is providing the ideas that enable policymakers to chart that new course.
Website: texaspolicy.com
X: twitter.com/tppf
Facebook: facebook.com/texaspolicy
Instagram: instagram.com/texaspolicy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/texas-public-policy-foundation
