Love reading? Singapore has launched a nationwide initiative that literally pays citizens to put down their phones and pick up a book, in a bold bid to combat doomscrolling and digital distraction. Recently introduced by the National Library Board (NLB), the ReadSG Challenge is a five-year movement designed to transform reading from an occasional hobby into a daily routine. Interestingly, the government is offering financial incentives and virtual rewards for short reading sessions, to encourage people to swap out social media for longer-form reading. Here’s what we know.
Earn money to read in Singapore
The mechanics of the paid reading scheme are straightforward and designed to fit into busy schedules. Participants need to read for just 15 minutes a day and log their session on the government’s CrowdTaskSG platform.
Each qualifying daily log earns you 20 virtual coins. Once you accumulate 1,000 coins, which takes 50 daily sessions, you can redeem them for $1. Additionally, the platform heavily gamifies the experience to keep readers interested with daily streaks, points, and draws to win prizes.
How is this beneficial?
According to behavioural scientists, the small financial reward acts as a psychological nudge that mimics the instant dopamine hit of scrolling through social media. And by setting a highly achievable 15-minute goal, the NLB aims to help citizens build a sustainable lifelong habit away from social media.
Meanwhile, the initiative also ensures that building a good habit helps the wider community. Until end of October 2026, all logged reading sessions on the platform contribute to the charity Read for Good. So if there’s a successful 7.5 million reading minutes, it unlocks a charity donation of up to $150,000—proving that setting aside just 15 minutes a day can create a massive impact.
