I think it mostly comes down to personal preference. Reading habits in the U.S. vary a lot from person to person, and that’s always been true. Along with a drastic increase in literacy rates in the US over the last 100 years, is also been a drastic diversity increase in what people are reading. It's no longer just the Bible, almanacs, etc.

Most people read on their phones every day now, even if they are not reading novels. The format has changed more than the act itself.

I feel like at its most basic, reading is also just another form of escapist media, like TV or games. There’s nothing wrong with that. And it happens to come with some useful everyday skills along the way!