Book vs. Post
The Reading Slump
For the past few years I’ve been going through quite the reading slump, which is unsettling, because I’ve been building my existence around books and literature since I can remember. If I had to go on one of those speed dating experiences where you get only three or whatever minutes to talk to someone, one of the first things the other person would learn about me is my love for literature. I’d deem that as one of the things that MUST be mentioned within the very limited time we have together.
Going through this reading slump, though, made me doubtful of myself – of the person I think I am. Now, I know most people probably think: “Oh, you’re not reading? Doesn’t seem like a bad life to me.” I get that. I really do. Everybody doesn’t love reading. After my time teaching, I now know that most people hate reading – probably because the system is just a little effed up. For me, however, reading is an essential part of who I am. There is a nerd in me which I have grown to love and fully embrace. It’s one of the things that make me who I am, and even though most people hardly give it a second thought, to me it is something that I am very proud of.
So, the fact that I’m struggling to read now, to just sit back and open the pages of a book, and to only get back to reality a few hours later, is a big deal to me. It has taken away a piece of me that I used to be proud of. Now, I still go around saying I love books and literature, but in the back of my mind a little voice is yelling, “You’re a fraud!” – Did I tell you that I overdramatise my life?
However, last night I delved into the world of book -bloggers, -grammers & -vloggers and for the first time found a little comfort when I realised that I’m not the only bookworm who has been having this dilemma. In fact, it seemed like most fellow readers have experienced (or are currently experiencing) a reading slump.
The most common reason, which I could come to from my own very mediocre sleuth & research skills, was that we are spending so much time on social media, Netflix and YouTube, that we don’t have time for reading anymore. I know. I sound like everyone’s grandma right now. The truth is though, if I had to self-analyse (boy this is gonna be fun), then I’d have to say that social media kind of screwed me up a bit.
Today, everything is about getting information and getting it quickly. You type in a keyword or phrase, the info pops up, but you’re not going to read a whole article, no. You want the quick stuff. You want bullet points: Five Steps to …., Ten Facts About… We have been conditioned into a faster lifestyle, without even knowing it. Even bloggers are moving away from their blogging websites and only focusing on Instagram posts. Why? Because nobody wants to read a whole article anymore. We want to see the beautiful image and the cute quote, or the shocking news with the main plot points. I’m not against social media or the internet. In fact, I love it. I really think that it is fantastic that we can have the knowledge of the world at only a click of a button.
The problem is though, that it has made us lose patience with information and stories. We overlook the finer details. We don’t see the whole picture. We don’t make time for the little things, and it is usually in the little things, where we find the special moments – the take your breath away moments, the heartbreak moments, the ah-ha moments. We’ve lost patience with life.
Now, I want to try and win that part of me back. The part that used to appreciate a lazy afternoon with zero likes and a 300 page book. I’m not planning on giving up on the internet or social media (I mean it’s my job – girl’s gotta eat).
I am, however going to try and reduce my time on it – scratch out the unnecessary stuff, and win back some time for my reading.
I thought the perfect way to do this would be to do a book or reading challenge – something like the 100 Books Challenge (but the end of the year is around the corner, so not that). So, if you have any reading challenges in mind, please comment below. I’d love to get some ideas. Please, keep it reasonable. I need to warm up my reading soul.
