Jacqueline Wilson warns smartphones are turning reading into a niche habit
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, promoting her new novel, says smartphones and social media are discouraging sustained reading, and urges children to rediscover the joy of books.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Dame Jacqueline Wilson has warned that smartphones are making deep reading a niche activity, as she promoted her latest novel about a girl in care. The best-selling children's author, known for the Tracy Beaker series, said children are too easily distracted by screens and social media.
Her new book follows a girl named Esme, who ends up with a foster family after her mother is caught stealing an expensive dolls house. Wilson said writing about children in care allows her to explore characters with difficult backgrounds who still show determination.
Reflecting on her own childhood, she noted that children today are more closely supervised and have less time for unsupervised imaginative play. She acknowledged that the temptation to scroll on phones is a serious threat to reading, and said the taste for getting absorbed in a long novel is "getting dangerously small."
Wilson said she feels "very evangelical" about encouraging children to find pleasure in books, describing reading as a joy, comfort, and a way to develop empathy. She expressed hope that the "year of reading" would push back against the "tyranny of the smartphone."
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 |
|---|---|
| She has a new book about a girl in care with a troubled childhood. | |
| She said that the appetite for becoming absorbed in long novels is dangerously small. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The package was a studio interview with Dame Jacqueline Wilson, giving her long uninterrupted time to discuss her new book and her views on reading. It framed the story around her literary career and personal advocacy, rather than any specific policy debate. The tone was respectful and appreciative, with the presenter quoting her past comment about reading becoming 'niche'.
- “I think the taste for doing that is getting dangerously small”
- “I feel very evangelical and try and Encourage children to find the fun in reading”
Broadcast Timeline
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