Is reading really boring, or are we doing it wrong?
In a world addicted to short reels and doomscrolling, can we still rewire ourselves to enjoy reading as we once did?
Try and recall a time when reading didn’t feel like a task. Was it a bedtime story from your childhood? A random novel from your teenage years? Either way, somewhere along the lines, the magic of reading has faded.
More often than not, being a university student means endless assigned readings. Instead of enjoying reading as a fun activity, this can easily make reading feel like another chore that we must cross off our academic to-do list.
The constant dopamine hits and non-stop stimulation from social media have shortened people’s attention spans. According to Exploding Topics, a trend-spotting platform that analyzes upcoming trends, the average American spends around seven hours a day in front of a screen. And according to the University of Maine, the average time spent on social media is more than two hours.
In contrast with social media’s fast-paced dynamic, reading is slower in rhythm. There is no change of content every thirty seconds. It requires something that we rarely activate nowadays—undivided attention. When our brains are used to constant stimulation, activities like reading can be mistaken for something boring, especially when you are expected to complete long readings for classes.
What people might overlook is that reading isn’t just about understanding content—it is a workout for your brain. A study from PubMed, a platform provided by the US National Library of Medicine, found that reading regularly can improve a person’s social cognitive abilities.
Unlike scrolling, reading activates long-term memory, improves emotional regulation and increases vocabulary. These improvements can come in handy, especially for students in tasks like writing essays, preparing presentations or doing in-class discussions.
Reading is how knowledge is built. For example, if you are reading for different subjects, it can help with your interpretation skills as well as your analytical ability. Reading strengthens these skills by helping you get better at concluding information, think more critically, and better connect ideas across disciplines.
According to an article from Concordia University, students who read academic texts for leisure tend to perform better in school. They are also more likely to be able to comprehend complex arguments in tests, writings, or research.
Reading does not have to be limited to mandatory texts (like your assigned textbooks). There is so much more to it as there are many genres, topics and styles, which will surely cater to something of your interest. One way to start experiencing the joy of reading is to use audiobooks. For example, you can listen to a novel while walking, commuting, or doing mindless tasks like housework.
And just like running, you don’t have to start with a marathon. You can slowly build up your stamina. By starting small, like reading five to ten pages, and gradually increasing your reading time each day, your reading ability will improve. And before you know it, you will start looking forward to this activity. You might even notice your thoughts getting clearer and that you’re able to use your words more precisely.
What’s more, with the ever-growing field of research, reading is more important than ever. It supports the success of academia by laying the foundation for emerging research, reviews and creativity in various disciplines. Reading can strengthen people’s ability to interpret data, build arguments and think beyond existing information to analyze and draw conclusions.
And maybe next time, when approaching an assigned reading, I highly recommend shifting your perspective. Don’t just read for the sake of completing it for school or getting good grades—read with the intention to learn, explore and gain new perspectives. And who knows, you might just fall in love with academic readings!
