Culture News

Singapore pays residents to read: 15 minutes a day, S$1 after 50 sessions. Will it work?

Singapore's National Library Board launched a five-year national reading campaign in September 2026 that pays residents, in small amounts, to read. A session of at least 15 minutes logged online earns 20 coins, only one session counts per day, and 1,000 coins convert into S$1, so it takes about 50 days to earn a dollar, Khaleej Times and CTV News, carrying a CNN report, explained. The earn-as-you-read pilot runs until the end of 2026, and a charity drive aims for 7.5 million minutes to unlock up to S$150,000.

“While short-form content helps us stay informed, long-form reading strengthens attention, critical thinking and imagination” — Melissa Tam, National Library Board, via CTV News (CNN)

CNN asked Singapore readers, a book club founder and a psychologist, who said cash rewards “work well for people who are already somewhat interested in reading”. The Guardian put the question to behavioural scientists. Ivo Vlaev of the National University of Singapore said the payment acts “more as a trigger than as a wage”, and that incentives do not work in proportion to their size. Jonathan Haidt said children respond to rewards, but warned that some may stop reading when the money stops.

How each outlet framed it

• Khaleej Times — a how-to: coins, caps and dirham conversion.
• CTV News (CNN) — the fight against short-form “brain rot”, with local voices.
• The Guardian — the science of habits, and whether Britain should try it.

Where the numbers differ: The figures match, but each outlet converts the dollar for its readers: about Dh2.70 in Khaleej Times, US$0.80 for CNN and £0.59 in The Guardian.

What we don't know yet: Whether a habit survives once the payments end, the question the Guardian's experts say a pilot should test.