Singapore has introduced a new initiative designed to encourage reading among its citizens by offering cash rewards for logging reading time on a government website. The program requires participants to complete 50 reading sessions, each lasting at least 15 minutes, with only one session allowed per day. For each completed set of 50 sessions, participants earn one Singapore dollar, which is approximately £0.59. The initiative aims to tackle concerns about declining reading habits in the population. Experts in behavioral science and psychology have weighed in on the potential effectiveness of the program. Jonathan Haidt, a psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, noted that while not all children are equally motivated by money, many respond to rewards. He suggested the scheme could help young people develop a habit of reading. Lory Barile, an economics professor at the University of Warwick, emphasized that repeated behavior can become automatic over time. However, she questioned whether the habit would continue once the financial incentive was removed. Ivo Vlaev, a professor of behavioral psychology at the National University of Singapore, pointed out that the effectiveness of incentives is not always proportional to their monetary value. He argued that the small cash reward should not be seen as a wage but rather as a trigger that helps people recognize their progress and start reading. Once the activity begins, he suggested, the intrinsic rewards of reading—such as enjoyment and knowledge—could take over. Patrick Taylor, director of education at the Behavioural Insights Team, highlighted the importance of gamified elements like daily goals, streaks, and progress tracking in making the scheme successful, especially for those who have stopped reading. Katy Milkman, a professor at Wharton business school, noted that such schemes may be most effective for individuals who are already motivated to read, helping them to read a bit more frequently. In the UK, similar non-monetary reward systems have been used for years, such as the primary school rainbow certificate scheme and the Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge. Lory Barile suggested that a pilot program in the UK could compare small financial rewards with symbolic rewards like certificates or badges, alongside gamification and progress feedback. Experts like Haidt proposed testing different types of rewards, including cash, free books, or points in a competition, to see what works best. Some questioned whether governments should financially reward reading, which has traditionally been viewed as a fun activity, especially when other forms of education are already supported or required.