How to Find Time to Read in the Age of Distractions?
A person today
moves about bewildered in the maze of screens, his attention
repeatedly drawn by the notifications that appear on them from time to time.
Thus minutes and hours pass, only to yield regret over what has elapsed and
been lost. If some people feel no longing to tread the paths of true happiness,
and are content with the dust instead of the stars, then they are free to
choose their own way.
Packaged Reading
Before we
proceed to answer our central question, we would like to address a common
objection that has spread widely among users of social media. This
objection goes as follows: We already read useful posts on social media, so
why should we set aside time for reading? At first glance, this objection
may seem reasonable, but when examined closely, it proves to be unfounded.
First: What
proportion do those useful posts actually represent compared to the total
number of posts that pass before your eyes?
Second: How
much time do you spend overall in order to obtain that supposed benefit,
compared to spending the same amount of time on a book whose benefit is
certain?
Finally, the
design of social media platforms is built upon this very pattern of
unpredictable rewards, which keeps you in a state of constant scrolling until a
post appears that “rewards” you for your time and effort—at which point your
body releases a dose of dopamine that makes you crave more.
Reprogramming
Social media
has become the mental equivalent of fast food: easy to consume, but neither
nourishing nor satisfying. Just as a person does not move from a fast-food diet
to a healthy one overnight, so too with our brains. We cannot simply shift them
from the state of short attention spans—programmed by prolonged social media
use—into a state of focused concentration long enough to finish a book before
meeting its author in the intermediate life.
The challenge
we face, then, is not merely a lack of time, but the need to reprogram our
brains, which have grown accustomed to rapid switching between content within a
single app and across multiple apps, endlessly scrolling until they collide
with a post that delivers a sense of “instant gratification.”
These habits
have reshaped our ability to concentrate, making an uninterrupted hour with a
book feel like a daunting task—and indeed, it will be so at first, without a
doubt.
A Look in the Mirror
Allah the
Exalted says: “Rather, man, against himself,
will be a witness.” (Al-Qiyamah
:14)
You are
certainly more aware of your own time than anyone else—especially how much of
it you spend in front of a screen, and how many apps now measure it for you. To
begin gradually reducing this time and reallocating it to reading is the first
step, and perhaps the only step, needed to create space for reading in our age.
We may criticize our times as much as we wish, but Allah’s decree preceded our
existence within them; complaint brings no benefit, and resentment yields no
gain.
In every era,
the reins of glory have awaited those who seize them firmly. True, some are
born with those reins already in their hands, yet that has not prevented them
from casting them aside and surrendering to a life of lethargy and ease. Just
as such people have existed, so too have there been those who clung fiercely to
what they were given, even if little. So which of the two camps do you choose
to belong to?
You Will Never Walk Alone
One of the most
beautiful aspects of reading is that it accompanies you on a journey into the
minds of great men. What they wrote is the distilled essence of their thought,
and sometimes the essence of their entire lives. It is a unique experience that
few others can rival.
Here are some
tips for choosing your first book:
1. Read what
you love, not what is popular
The bestselling novel may be tempting, but is it truly what you wish to immerse
yourself in? Perhaps a particular historical event has long intrigued you, or
maybe you have read quotations from an author whose style impressed you. Start
there.
If nothing
comes to mind, then leaning on the pillars of Arabic literature—such as Ar-Rafi`i, Al-Manfaluṭi, Al-`Aqqad, and Arslan—may not be the
easiest beginning. Undoubtedly, transitioning from the shallow language of
Facebook posts to the depth of their prose will take time. But that time would
have been spent regardless, so spend it on what is worthy of being spent for.
2. Take your
phone out of the room
Without doubt, the primary source of distraction for most of us is our phone.
Several research studies conducted by the Journal of Consumer Research,
the University of Chicago, and others have found that merely having a phone in
the same room reduces one’s ability to concentrate, as part of the brain
remains on alert for an incoming notification. This advice may seem obvious,
and its obviousness may be reason enough for some to ignore it—but the obvious
solution may well be the best one.
3. Do not let
social media be the gateway
Some people like the idea of “book clubs” and find them motivating. But for
someone unaccustomed to reading, it may end with them forgetting that they
picked up the phone to message fellow members of the reading club, only to find
themselves, without knowing when or how, scrolling through Instagram. Joining
such clubs may be a good idea later on, once reading becomes a habit and an
integral part of your day, and once you have discovered the types of books your
soul inclines toward.
Especially
since you will never walk alone, as long as you are in the company of a book.
Read Also:
-
10 Ways to Build a Book Reading Habit
-
8 Tips for Reading Effectively and Without Boredom
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