Self-Help Surge: The Personal Development Market Continues to Grow | Region

Publishers release around 15,000 self-help books in the United States each year. Personal development and self-help books make up one of the fastest-growing non-fiction categories out there.

In the past few years, the self-help and personal development market surged. According to a recent report by Research and Markets, the global market size of personal development books is estimated to reach a whopping $67.02 billion by 2030. 

The boom can be attributed to the ever-growing popularity of tech-driven self-growth platforms among the youth of today. Employees across various sectors are also constantly looking to level up in their specific domains to keep meeting employer standards at work, also contributing to the surge in recent years.

Report Highlights

In 2022, the personal growth segment generated 38% of the sector’s overall revenue. Multiple factors contributed, including the segment’s digital accessibility, personalized approach, perceived value, and positive outcomes. The upskilling segment also generated 31% of the revenue that same year.

While the global market booms, specific regions are seeing fast market growth. Asia Pacific, for example, has witnessed growing awareness among its youthful population. Additionally, the area is experiencing rapid economic growth, significant tech advancements, and the introduction of supportive policies, all conducive to sector growth.

What Falls Under the Personal Development Category

Personal development comprises multiple aspects, including individual and professional growth. Specific methods include attending lectures, accessing digital resources, reading self-development books, and connecting with coaches. 

Such courses can develop and upgrade skills, but their purpose goes beyond professional advancement; many self-help books and classes can help professionals with personal development.

Reasons Behind the Surge

Businesses target a global customer base through online offerings like audiobooks, ebooks, podcasts, and courses. Many of these resources provide personalized tools and solutions. Some may even offer private coaching and live discussions and sessions. Any individual, business, or team can access this material remotely worldwide.

While pandemic lockdowns and restrictions brought many businesses new problems, such regulations are the primary reasons behind the popularity of personal development. With limited outside-world access, people worldwide started accessing materials and courses that would help them grow personally and professionally. 

Many professionals went from not having time to learn new skills to having unprecedented amounts of free time. With these significant shifts in professional schedules, the personal development sector boomed. 

Two additional contributors include virtual reality innovations and the improvement of artificial intelligence. VR, 3D, virtual positioning, and augmented reality tech have made these courses more accessible and personalized. As the sectors continue to develop, they should keep boosting the growth of the personal development market till 2030. 

Are Personal Development Books Really Helpful?

While the sector continues to grow, many still question the worth of personal development books and courses. Many see these courses as scams and treat them like pyramid schemes. The criticisms against self-help and development materials fall under three main categories:

• Negative influence: You never know who may be writing a self-help book or designing a personal development course. However, much of this advice is contradictory, with some being irrational or inaccessible. Ill-informed self-help literature can keep many people from seeking professional help while offering hard-to-follow or meaningless advice.
• Placebo effect: Some books add nothing to the conversation. If uninformed advice works, its success is likely contributable to a placebo effect. What some self-titled self-help professionals offer may not be practical advice, but it still unwittingly helps because the person following them believes in its effectiveness.
• No value: Self-help books are often easy reads, which can maintain reader engagement. But underneath all the accessible writing is a simple truth — these books either don’t work or offer common knowledge rather than wisdom.

There can’t be a manual full of silver bullet-like solutions to solve everyone’s professional, personal, and mental health issues. That said, personal development books and courses may also help one introspect about oneself and reflect on one’s life and actions. While trying to solve major life problems using guidance from these books is inadvisable, they can still come in handy if professional help is inaccessible.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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