Brazil sees reading decline and rising online mental health issues

A new edition of the "Retratos da Leitura no Brasil" survey by Instituto Pró‑Livro shows that 81% of Brazilians now spend their free time online while only 20% read books, a sharp drop from 2015 when half of the population used the internet and nearly a quarter read. The shift is linked to the rapid growth of social‑media platforms, short‑form videos and constant digital notifications, which reduce attention spans and make sustained reading less appealing.

DataReportal reports that the average Brazilian spends about 51 hours and 35 minutes per week on digital content. Psychiatrists, including Camila Magalhães Silveira of Hospital Sírio‑Libanês, warn that this hyper‑connectivity fuels compulsive phone use, emotional dependence and social comparison, leading to higher rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness and fear of missing out, especially among adolescents. The brain’s reward system reacts to likes and notifications with dopamine releases, reinforcing a cycle that can harm mental well‑being.