why you stopped reading
TLDRIn this reflective video, the creator embarks on a challenge to read five books in five days, exploring the decline of leisure reading and the barriers that hinder it. They delve into reasons for the decrease in reading habits, such as time constraints, energy levels, reading practice, and book selection. Through various treatments like rewards, a 'cone of silence,' and audiobooks, they experiment with strategies to reignite the joy of reading. The video concludes with insights on the importance of narrative, the effectiveness of challenges, and the acceptance of reading's slower pace, ultimately advocating for carving out dedicated, distraction-free time for reading.
Takeaways
- 📚 The speaker used to be an avid reader but now struggles to read more than a page, missing the immersive experience of getting lost in a story.
- 🔍 Research indicates a decline in leisure reading since the 1980s, potentially linked to the rise of television and other distractions.
- 🧠 Reading is a complex cognitive activity that requires concentration and is not innate like other brain functions such as breathing or moving.
- 🕰 Time constraints due to work and responsibilities often prevent adults from finding time to read, unlike when they were younger with more flexible schedules.
- 💡 The speaker suggests that a lack of practice can make reading feel impossible, recommending starting with shorter or simpler texts to ease back into the habit.
- 📖 Choosing the wrong books that do not align with one's reading motives can contribute to the decline in reading for pleasure.
- 🧐 The experiment conducted by the speaker involved attempting to read five books in five days with different treatments to see what helps in getting back into reading.
- 🏆 The use of rewards, such as a pizza party for finishing a book, was one of the treatments tested to motivate reading.
- 🚫 The 'cone of silence' treatment involved eliminating all distractions to focus solely on reading, highlighting the impact of screen time and multitasking.
- 🎧 Listening to audio books while reading the text was another treatment, which can be beneficial for some but may not fully replicate the reading experience.
- 🎮 The concept of gamification was introduced as a potential method to improve reading outcomes by adding elements of play and challenge.
Q & A
What is the main issue the speaker is addressing in the video?
-The speaker is addressing the issue of losing the ability or desire to read for pleasure, a skill they once had as a child, and how to rekindle the habit of reading.
What is the speaker's initial challenge to themselves?
-The speaker's initial challenge is to read five books in five days to test if they can regain their reading habit.
What are the four main reasons the speaker suggests for why people stop reading?
-The four reasons are: 1) Lack of time due to work and responsibilities, 2) Lack of energy or concentration, 3) Lack of practice, leading to difficulty with complex texts, and 4) Reading the wrong books that don't align with one's reading motives.
What is the speaker's hypothesis for their reading challenge?
-The speaker doesn't explicitly state a hypothesis but implies that they believe they can read five books in five days by applying various treatments to enhance their reading experience.
What are the treatments the speaker plans to apply during their reading challenge?
-The treatments include: a control with no treatment, a reward system, a 'cone of silence' day with no distractions, setting reading goals with a punishment for not meeting them, and using audio books in conjunction with reading.
What is the role of the Fabulous app in the video?
-The Fabulous app is a sponsor of the video, and it is presented as a tool to help build healthy habits, which the speaker finds useful in their challenge to read more.
What does the speaker learn about their reading habits during the challenge?
-The speaker learns that they have a tendency to let work consume their time, struggle with focus due to screen time and distractions, and that they prefer reading narratives that are immersive.
What is the significance of the speaker's experience on the last day of the challenge?
-On the last day, the speaker realizes that having fewer obligations allows them to immerse themselves in reading, and they compare the experience to binge-watching a mini-series, highlighting the importance of mental space for reading.
What conclusion does the speaker draw about reading after completing the challenge?
-The speaker concludes that reading is a slow and immersive process that requires time and mental space dedicated to oneself, and that reading for the sake of reading is a valuable and enjoyable activity.
What advice does the speaker give for those who want to read more?
-The speaker advises to establish temporal boundaries by setting aside time for reading and to give oneself the mental permission to disconnect from distractions and be present in the reading experience.
Outlines
📚 The Struggle to Revive Reading Habits
The speaker begins by expressing their struggle with reading, reminiscing about their childhood when they could finish a book in a day, contrasting it with their current inability to get through a single page. They introduce an experiment to read five books in five days, sponsored by Fabulous, and discuss the decline of leisure reading since the 1980s, attributing it to the rise of television. The speaker also mentions that while reading has cognitive and empathetic benefits, it's not a necessity for everyone. The paragraph ends with a list of four potential reasons for the cessation of reading habits: lack of time, energy, practice, and choosing the wrong books.
🎯 Experimenting with Reading Strategies
The speaker outlines an experiment to test different strategies to boost their reading habit, starting with a control day where they read without any external influence. They then introduce treatments such as rewarding themselves with pizza upon finishing a book, creating a 'cone of silence' to eliminate distractions, setting reading goals with physical punishments for failure, and exploring audiobooks as a means to improve reading speed and comprehension. A bonus treatment of gamification is also mentioned, with the speaker's YouTube challenge itself being a form of gamified reading. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's intention to choose books of reasonable length and high recommendations, to be revealed each day of the experiment.
🕒 The Challenge of Balancing Work and Reading
The speaker recounts their experience on the first two days of the reading challenge, highlighting the difficulty of fitting reading into a busy work schedule. On the first day, they managed to finish 'Mutual Aid' by Dean Spade despite work distractions, while on the second day, they struggled to find time for 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' by Douglas Adams. The speaker admits to being distracted by their phone and other responsibilities, but eventually immerses themselves in the book, finishing it late into the night. The paragraph emphasizes the struggle between professional obligations and personal interests, and the speaker's determination to overcome these challenges.
🚫 The Cone of Silence and the Struggle with Distractions
On the third day, the speaker attempts to read 'Moonwalking with Einstein' by Joshua Foer while enforcing a 'cone of silence,' which involves eliminating all digital distractions. However, they find themselves missing their phone and struggling with the change in routine, even falling asleep while trying to read. The speaker admits to breaking the cone of silence due to the desire for distraction and only manages to get into the reading zone later in the day. Despite the initial difficulties, they successfully finish the book, albeit with mixed feelings about the experience.
🏋️♀️ Physical Punishment and the Power of Narrative
The fourth day's challenge involves physical punishment for not meeting reading goals, which the speaker finds demoralizing. They read 'Why Fish Don't Exist' by Lulu Miller, struggling to keep up with the pace due to a late start and exercise commitments. Despite the setbacks, the speaker manages to finish the book in four hours, attributing their success to the book's engaging narrative and their determination to avoid further physical punishment. The speaker reflects on the importance of narratives in making reading an immersive and enjoyable experience.
🎧 The Impact of Audiobooks and Accepting the Pace of Reading
In the final day of the challenge, the speaker reads 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' by Hank Green, using an audiobook to aid their reading. They find that the combination of listening and reading speeds up the process, but also note the importance of being fully present and engaged with the material. The speaker reflects on the entire challenge, realizing that reading is a slow and immersive activity that requires dedicated time and mental space. They conclude that reading is not just about consuming information but also about taking time for oneself and enjoying the journey of the narrative.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Reading Decline
💡Cognitive Ability
💡Leisure Reading
💡Narrative Involvement
💡Audio Books
💡Gamification
💡Mental Illness
💡Escape
💡Habits
💡Distraction
💡Self-Care
Highlights
The narrator used to read a lot as a child but now struggles to get through a page.
They attempted to read five books in five days to rekindle their love for reading.
A Dutch survey from the 50s to the 90s indicates a decline in leisure reading, potentially due to the rise of TV.
The narrator explores if reading for leisure is in decline and finds evidence of this trend since the 1980s.
Reading is suggested to improve cognitive ability and empathy, but it's not a necessity for everyone.
Four reasons are proposed for why people stop reading: lack of time, energy, practice, and choosing the wrong books.
The narrator admits their work often consumes their life, leaving little time for personal reading.
They conducted a self-experiment with different treatments to see if they could read five books in five days.
The experiment included a control day with no pressure, a reward system, a cone of silence, setting reading goals with punishment for not meeting them, and using audiobooks.
A bonus treatment of gamification was added, inspired by a study that showed it can improve reading outcomes.
The narrator chose books of reasonable length that were highly recommended to them.
On day one, they read 'Mutual Aid' by Dean Spade and found it a fast read, despite work distractions.
Day two involved reading 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency' with a reward of a pizza party if finished.
On day three, the 'cone of silence' treatment was challenging due to the narrator's screen time problem.
The narrator completed reading 'Moonwalking with Einstein' despite the struggle of the cone of silence.
Day four had the narrator reading 'Why Fish Don't Exist' by Lulu Miller, with a punishment of wall sits for not meeting reading goals.
On the final day, they read 'An Absolutely Remarkable Thing' by Hank Green, combining audiobooks with reading for a faster pace.
The narrator successfully read five books in five days, reflecting on the cognitive strain and immersive experience of reading.
Narratives were found to make reading faster and more immersive, while audiobooks significantly increased reading speed when combined with the visual text.
Challenges and gamification were effective in providing short-term motivation for reading.
The narrator concludes that reading is a slow process best suited for times when one can be fully present and disconnected from distractions.
They encourage others to establish boundaries and mental permission to take time for themselves to read.
Transcripts
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