Literacy, the ability to read, used to be a rare thing. Only 200 years ago, as few as 12% of people around the world could read at a basic level. Today, that global number is around 87%, and in the United States, 99% of adults can read at least at around a fifth-grade level.

In the long arc of history, that’s incredible progress. But there’s a catch. In the U.S., nearly a third of adults are functionally illiterate, which means they “face significant challenges when trying to comprehend or use written information in practical contexts,” according to Babbel.

In other words, there’s a huge difference between being able to read words and understand sentences and being truly, functionally literate.

Mental health coach explains the massive literacy gap

Dr. Shanté Holley, an English professor and popular, trauma-informed mental health coach on social media, recently did a deep dive into this topic on her YouTube channel.

“There are so many people that just don’t understand nuance, satire, entendre, or irony,” she says in a video. “Illiteracy cripples your ability to read the world and the room. … The difference between people who regularly wrestle with complex ideas vs. people who primarily consume clickbait content is vast.”

She goes on to explain that literacy goes far beyond just being able to read. It’s about being able to understand what you’re reading. In 2026, access to information is almost unlimited. The early days of the printing press, when books and printed text were luxuries for the wealthy, are long gone. Now it’s the ability to interpret that information that is the true superpower.

Have you ever seen a thing online and immediately scrolled........

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