A systematic Review of Studies on Adult Reading Practices, Interests, Habits and Challenges

Abstract

This study presents a systematic review (SR) of eleven studies conducted by the author over a twenty year period (2004–2023), offering a comprehensive and longitudinal examination of adult L1 recreational reading in Arab contexts. Collectively, these studies provide an integrated view of adult reading practices, interests, habits, motivation, challenges, literacy campaigns and reading promotion programs. The corpus was organized into four thematic clusters: (i) digital reading, social media, and contemporary reading behavior; (ii) reading interests, preferences, and popular genres and topics; (iii) literacy campaigns and reading promotion programs; and (iv) reading challenges and the broader decline of reading culture. Across the corpus, findings consistently show that although adults show a clear preference for specific genres, particularly fiction, entertainment oriented topics, and self development materials, actual engagement in recreational reading remains limited. This gap between interest and practice is affected by a number of structural, cultural, and technological barriers such as the dominance of entertainment driven media environments, the persistent misalignment between school curricula and college students’ reading interests, and the limited role of families and communities in cultivating and enhancing reading habits. Despite these constraints, the review identifies promising strategies for enhancing reading culture, including the strategic use of digital reading tools, community based reading initiatives, and successful national literacy campaigns worldwide. By consolidating two decades of research within a coherent author bounded corpus, this SR fills a critical gap in global L1 recreational reading scholarship, where adult reading—particularly in Arabic—remains significantly under examined. The findings underscore the need for multi level interventions that integrate educational reform, digital literacy development, family and community engagement, and sustained policy support. Strengthening adult recreational reading is not only a cultural priority but also a foundation for lifelong learning, personal development, and societal well being. Thus, this SR contributes a regionally grounded yet globally relevant perspective, offering insights that can inform future research scope, guide educational and cultural practice, and support national efforts to cultivate a log-term reading culture across the Arab world.