March 19, 2026
SEOUL – More than 3 in 10 high school students in South Korea reported struggling to read long texts, according to a recent survey.
In response to a question asking whether they often find it difficult to stay focused when reading long passages for more than 10 minutes, 22.2 percent said “yes,” while 8.4 percent said “very much so,” totaling 30.6 percent, according to a survey of over 3,500 high school students by Jinhaksa, an educational research institute.
By contrast, 26 percent answered “no” and 15 percent said “not at all,” bringing the share of students who did not report such difficulties to 41 percent.
Jinhaksa said the results suggest that reduced attention spans could pose an added burden for students required to read and analyze lengthy texts, such as passages on the College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung.
The company attributed the trend in part to the widespread consumption of short-form video content. Among respondents, 57.9 percent said they habitually open short-form video apps, such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, without any specific purpose.
When asked about self-control over viewing time, 78.4 percent said they tend to watch longer than intended, while only 20 percent said they can stop when they want.
Woo Yeon-cheol, head of Jinhaksa’s admissions strategy research institute, said increased reliance on short-form media may be reshaping how students process information.
“As the use of short-form content grows, the brain becomes more accustomed to brief and intense stimulation,” Woo said.
“To restore academic concentration, it is important for high school students to train themselves to read longer materials, such as textbooks and news articles, from beginning to end.”