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i am just such a SLOW reader. i find myself having to re-read the same sentences multiple times because i don't feel like i'm fully absorbing what i'm reading. and then when i close the book i practically forget everything i just read. i feel like reading would be so much less daunting if i could get through books quicker. is this just a symptom of adolescent + adulthood internet addiction/short-form content fragmenting my brain?!!?!
Oct 19, 2024
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I think a lot of us want to be able to read longer material, but our attention spans are fried for various reasons. For me, it was the fatal combo of doing a reading-intensive degree that ate away at my time + social media brainrot + a high level of anxiety that makes me feel generally restless and unfocused. I used to be a huge reader, so I've tried jumping right back into reading long novels multiple times. This hasn't seemed to work in any lasting way. I've had more luck recently with starting small.
Even if you set your goal as: "I want to read something longer than tweets or social media posts," it's progress! Zines, articles, Substack posts, anything just a little bit longer that your brain can latch deeper into will help rebuild your attention. Short story collections and novellas have also been helpful for me, especially if you pick a topic or genre that you're really interested in.
I'm still on some forms of social media, so I haven't gone cold-turkey. But I do feel like incorporating longer-form material again, even mixed in with scrolling, has helped my brain so much already. It's refreshing to hand-select what I want to read and give my attention to, instead of letting an algorithm serve me topics. I didn't realize how much depth I was missing in exchange for the breadth of the internet!
Jan 19, 2025
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Iโm such a slow reader it makes it hard to keep reading because I forget what happened last chapter. But I always try!
3d ago
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As someone who just got back into reading in the last couple of years, I totally understand the frustration of having free time, a shelf full of good books and yet somehow youโre never finishing them or even picking those sweeties up! Here are some tips that helped me be a better reader:
1. Get a Goodreads account and add your friends! While the app itself is pretty clunky, i still love it for getting back into reading because it lets you set goals for yourself, find new reads and more importantly see what your friends are reading (This last one helps me stay accountable, I donโt want my book nerd friends to catch me slacking). I also love being able to write reviews of the books Iโve read.
2. Instead of watching tv or scrolling before bed, read for at least 15 minutes every night. Iโve found this goal to be helpful because itโs attainable, plus reading before bed helps me unplug and sleep better.
3. Start small with shorter or simpler books before building your way back up to longer ones. This was crucial for me coming off of a heavy scrolling/tik tok era when my attention span was especially shot.
Jun 2, 2025
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it's been a week since i'm rid of it and tbh i don't really miss it; i just buy cd's from the charity shop and listen on my cd player when home. if i REALLY crave a certain song whilst out and about then i'll just go on youtube. so far it's nice to not have the decision paralysis of what music i want to listen to and i feel like i'm getting to experience music as more of a whole thing bc i can't just keep flicking between artists. and i'm not ashamed that i did enjoy coldplay's parachutes album on a soft and fading thursday evening!
Feb 9, 2024
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man, libraries ROCK !!!! what do you mean i can just chill here in this chair... in this warm building with high ceilings... all of these shelves full of delights like graphic novels and how to speak another language... and then i can take my favourite books home... FOR FREE ?!?! i am so happy i left the house to go to the library today
Jan 23, 2024
every year i make a new video to mark a theme that has defined the past year: this year it was all about addiction to the internet and subsequent feelings that time spent online takes me away from my sense of self !!!!
Oct 19, 2024