Media outlets abound with articles and tips to help reduce stress, slow the pace of our increasingly hectic, technologically-saturated lives, and combat our dwindling attention spans. Your friends’ posts on your Facebook Newsfeed may indicate a refreshing resurgence of some “old fashioned” and purposefully time-consuming recreational pursuits: slow cooking, slow exercise, slow-paced travel, slow relationships, slow money.
Add to this list the Slow Reading Movement. The Wall Street Journal’s Jeanne Whalen recently profiled a book group in New Zealand, the “Slow Reading Club,” to find out more about this movement and its popularity. Close your eyes and visualize this – a small cafe with an abundance of cozy chairs, each occupied by a silent reader. No cell phones, no talking – just the sound of silence and the occasional paper page turning. This is not a traditional book club, where the point would be to talk about what you’ve read; the point is to get away from the talking and the pinging. The Slow Reading Club’s mission is to return to the days before dinging devices decimated our attention spans.
Despite vast research touting the importance of literacy and reading for both children and adults, reading has been steadily declining among adults. Even among those who reported enjoying reading, their ability to finish a book in its entirety is waning. This trend is troubling given the fact that we know that mentally stimulating activities like reading can slow the rate of memory loss, aid in concentration, and reduce stress. Research also suggests that reading literary fiction in particular helps us develop empathy – a better understanding the emotional states and beliefs of others.
Even more disturbing is that all our skimming and skipping appears to be changing our actual reading patterns. When we do take a few moments to read, we tend to do so in this hunt-and-peck style, attempting to pick out important information. We no longer read in the linear fashion of bygone years. A study conducted in 2006 found that people looking at web pages read in an “F pattern,” scanning the top line of text and only halfway across the next few lines before slipping to a vertical eye movement down the left side towards the bottom. Important information is being missed with this type of reading pattern. Moreover, reading text littered with links and consuming a steady diet of multimedia presentations incorporating words, sounds, and pictures results in weaker reading comprehension.
All is not lost! There is still time to find a distraction-free, device-free corner of your home, where you can get lost in a good book. Give reading the same priority you do to exercise or other daily routines – just 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Your reward will be better concentration and comprehension, reduced stress, improved listening skills, and a greater sense of empathy.
Purists will tell you that the best books are those that are printed (not to mention that seeing them lying around serves as a visual reminder of your commitment). Print or e-book, the point is to indulge in the uninterrupted pleasure of silent reading.
You can read more about this topic in The Wall Street Journal. Just remember to read slowly.