126
you’ve been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress).
(ismatu.substack.com)
this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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It outright told me this is going to take 40-ish minutes. The problem isn't that I "hate to read", the problem is that sitting in one place doing one thing for 40 minutes makes my skin crawl (because I have productivity brain poisoning). I've switched to audiobooks because I can get through them while also doing other tasks (like when I'm zoning out on the welding press at work) and I'm chewing through about one book a week these days. I'm reading theory! I'm reading fiction again! I'm just not literally reading them, because I'm not going to make the time.
EDIT Okay this doesn't seem to actually be critiquing podcasts and audiobooks as much as I expected, but is more focused on TikTok and other video content. Easy to digest, requires zero concentration, and doesn't stick in your brain the way long-form content does. Not as disagreeable as when I started. Although her point "Can you tell me the thesis and supporting arguements of videos you watched from two calendar years ago?" doesn't really land for me - I can barely remember my own life from two years ago. I need notes for that, and this argument seems more in favor of active reading than just reading in general.
I have my master's in a field I'm very passionate about, and I can barely remember my thesis when people ask me about it, even though I spent two years developing it :P
I do like the author's points very much, and I especially appreciate her unique perspective, because a lot of times I read things like this from US or UK authors, as opposed to someone who's had the experiences she has. But I also agree that maybe it's a bit unfair to consumers of audiobooks and alternative forms of reading, and it probably misses its target audience.
I showed my husband as soon as I finished reading because I felt like he could relate to a lot of what she said since he has ADHD, and as soon as he saw the length of the article, he said, "You're kidding,right?"
Also, I listen to audiobooks a lot while I'm out walking or longboarding, and I really don't notice a difference between that and conventional reading. I feel like I absorb the information just as well, and sometimes even more because I'm keeping my hands and feet busy and am therefore less distracted than when I try to sit still and read.
This is so true! I can engage with works so deeply when I don't have to concentrate on concentrating, because I'm so occupied that I don't have more room to even be distracted in the first place. The only downside is I need to figure out a way to take notes while listening to audiobooks. Maybe some kind of wrist voice recorder? idk
I typed out a thoughtful response to this, and then the server hiccuped and I lost it. When I was still in college, I used to get ideas when I was doing something, and I'd pause to record voice notes on my phone.
The problem is you then have to remember to listen to them later, and also I hate the sound of my voice!
I think I'd want some kind of voice-to-text thing, because while I don't have time to sit down to read a book I can totally make time to glance through short-hand notes. Especially for podcasts when they mention a book, would be nice to just "note to self - look up X by Y" y'know?
Oh yes, that's a good point. I wonder if there's a FOSS app that does this? I'd actually download this because there are many times I'd like to revisit an idea later.