How to Read the Right Way: A Complete Guide PART II
The State of
Reading Today
Given the boom in e-readers, smartphones, and
electronic devices in general, it shouldn’t be a surprise that people are
resorting to reading in different ways. As information goes digital, books have
become easier to access.
However, over things can be accessed easily as
well. Videos are available on-demand. People can chat with friends across the
world. Considering the countless options available at our fingertips, are books
really more enticing than before?
According to one survey in
Japan, the longer people spent on their smartphones, the less time they spent
reading books. Overall, 53 percent of respondents did not read a single book in
the last month, consistent with rates in the previous five years.
On a positive note, research has found an increase in reading from 17 to 21 percent after a
holiday season where tablets and e-readers were popular gift choices. Around 43
percent of American adults have consumed long-form content in the past year, whether
it’s books, journals, or articles. The average e-reader, specifically, has read
24 books in the past 12 months, while a non-e-book reader has read 15 books.
The places where people read books have changed as
well. People are squeezing in bits of reading whenever they have a moment to
spare, such as on the daily commute or in between tasks. Increasingly, people
are readingwhile watching television or
surfing the computer.
Although people are increasingly reading in short
spurts, the benefits from “deep reading” are lost in the process. Reading in
long periods helps the reader to enter a state similar to a hypnotic trance, in which the experience is most
enjoyable.
Interestingly, the reading rate actually slows
down. In this state, the reader quickly decodes words while keeping a gradual
pace, heightening the understanding and relationship between author and reader.
How to Read in a
Changing Society
Ideally, we would be able to read uninterrupted
for hours at a time, under soft lighting, and free of all distractions.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that luxury on a daily basis.
So how can we make the most out of what we read?
Here are four solutions:
1. Choose different
reading pieces for different occasions.
Reading only when you have long, empty periods to
spare can be difficult. We squeeze in books whenever we can, between work and
relaxation. These factors make it hard to fully immerse ourselves.
It makes sense, then, to categorize reading
material according to your place and time. For instance, articles and light
reads can be reserved for short periods. Books that require less focus can be
listened to in audio format.Heavy reading material can be saved for those
moments when you have long stretches of free time.
2. Incorporate reading
into your daily habit.
Since I started making reading books a daily
habit, I’ve been able to:
·
Improve my creativity
levels.
·
Apply knowledge gained
to my work.
·
Discover new topics and
interests.
·
Explore ideas from a
different perspective.
·
Gain greater empathy
and understanding towards people and situations.
·
Have something
enjoyable to look forward to.
·
Create a sense of
stability and continuity on a daily basis.
·
De-stress and unwind,
increasing quality of sleep.
Optimal reading times include early in the
morning, or right before sleep. Of course, you can fit in reading whenever, but
I find these two times perfect for starting and ending the day.
An easy way to begin this habit is by putting a
book on your bedside table so that it’s one of the first things you see after
waking up and before going to sleep. If you’re rusty on the reading, choosing a
light, fun read can is an effective way to ease yourself into picking up a
book.
3. Share your reads
with others.
After watching the latest episode of your favorite
show, have you felt the need to share your thoughts and opinions with fellow
watchers? If so, why should books be any different?
If you just finished reading a book you enjoyed,
share it with someone who might like it as well. And if someone with
similar tastes recommends a book to you, why not check it out?
Going through similar experiences and bonding
through books helps you become closer with others, creating a similar feeling
to traveling together or watching the same film. A shared discussion can also
help you to better understand and appreciate what you read.
4. Reflect on
your reading.
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t like to simply zip
through a book, check it off, and move onto the next one. When I do that, I
find that I lose out on the implications behind the work. Instead, I use a few
methods to absorb the material, including:
·
Jotting
notes: If there are some
interesting facts in the book, I’ll highlight them, make some annotations, or
copy down notable paragraphs.
·
Write an
article: Sometimes, I’ll
write an article describing the events that happened in a book, along with my
reflections and main takeaways.
·
See an
adaptation: Popular novels
often have film adaptations. I like to check out films that are based off
novels to compare my interpretation with someone else’s, relive key events, and
enjoy the work in a different medium.
Making Way for a New
Form of Reading
Although some still resort to old-fashioned paper
books, the traditional format is making way for a different style of reading.
We’re carrying hundreds of books electronically. We’re listening to stories.
We’re watching events unfold on screen.
Not only is the form changing, but so is our
approach.
We’re increasingly cutting our activities into
small segments, rushing to finish what we do, or trying to do everything at
once. While it’s almost impossible to push back against the tides of time, it’s
up to us to find methods to adapt and thrive in periods of change, both in reading
and other facets of life.
Melissa
Chu
https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-read-the-right-way-a-complete-guide-566deee5e8cb
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