i also have this problem. kyle pure wrote a really good essay abt it on substack and even though i can’t see the paid part the intro is enough. but i’ve tried replacing some of my screen time w reading lately. i feel better at the end of a reading sesh than i do when i just scroll on tik tok.
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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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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 you’re 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 don’t want my book nerd friends to catch me slacking). I also love being able to write reviews of the books I’ve read.
2. Instead of watching tv or scrolling before bed, read for at least 15 minutes every night. I’ve found this goal to be helpful because it’s 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.
5d ago
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i usually get myself back into reading by reading something short or re-reading something i know i love. once i get back into the groove of reaching for a book rather than any of my other hobbies it's easier for me to keep at it and work on my to-read list!!!
6d ago
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save this one for later
Feb 1, 2024
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because this dream still isnt feeling sweet!!!!
Jan 28, 2024