Zaria Gorvett for the BBC makes the point first that reading helps you build empathy by citing some studies done on the subject.

Then to get more reading in:

So now that you’re convinced of the benefits of reading, consider this: according to a 2017 survey of 1,875 people by the UK media regulator Ofcom, the average British adult spends around two hours and 49 minutes on their phone each day. To hit the daily target of an hour with books, most people would just have to reduce their screen time by a third.

It’s not that you don’t have time to read. It’s that you choose to put priority on other things in your life and then use that as an excuse not to read.

Don’t just say you want to read more, show me that it’s true by cutting some of the other stuff in your life in favour of reading.

It ends with a bunch of good tips to get your reading habit kickstarted, without building some big bag of obligation on top of yourself.