Between deadlines, internships, and endless scrolling, students are still making space for books.

The image of college reading may once have been tied to libraries, paperbacks, and annotated classics. In 2026, however, reading habits look noticeably different. Students now discover books through Instagram reels, listen to audiobooks while commuting, or read PDFs shared in group chats.

And yet, despite digital distractions, students across campuses say reading continues to offer comfort, escapism and identity.

“I generally read fiction, but I also enjoy memoirs, essays and poetry collections,” says Lakshmi Jyothish, a second-year student at Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC), Pune .…