7 ms·

What you describe is how I was when I was younger, too. I read everything, I read pretty fast, and I could read for hours on end. That is no longer the case at

by dkh 3y ago

What you describe is how I was when I was younger, too. I read everything, I read pretty fast, and I could read for hours on end. That is no longer the case at all, and I'm uncertain when or why it changed so drastically. (The "when" is tough to pinpoint because for much of my early 20s I wasn't doing much reading, and it's possible that the "why" is related to some change my brain underwent during/because of that.)

s_trumpet 3y ago
I managed to slowly claw it back by completely changing my reading method. I download ebooks on my phone and read in 5-10 min chunks throughout the day (where I’d normally be using social media or checking the news) followed by 1 hour at the end.
flir 3y ago
When did you start using the internet regularly? (It's possible that you didn't change, it's just that your brain found an easier dopamine delivery system).
- dkh 3y ago
  Way, way earlier. I definitely had different dopamine delivery systems during those years when I wasn't reading a lot. I was doing a lot of things differently n general during that time. But it was surprising and disappointing that I never seemed to regain quite the same reading "abilities" (for lack of a better word) even after years of regular reading again. Don't get me wrong, I read all the time now, but I can't burn through books like I did back then, I don't read faster than I can subvocalize, and it can be challenging to stay focused or retain what I read. A few years ago, I spent about nine months reading a single book about Napoleon. It was pretty long, detailed, and complex, so it wasn't intended to be an easy/quick read, but it still took me a pretty long time to get through it while giving it the proper focus. But the annoying part is that a couple years later, I struggle to remember details about Napoleon. I know, memory needs to be practiced and reinforced and such, but I had hoped the length of my immersion in the subject would've done a bit more in this area on its own.
steve_adams_86 3y ago
I lost my reading tendency when life got harder. The urgency and anxiety around keeping up with everyday life made activities like reading almost unsettling slow and “unproductive”. I realized that and did something about it, but I didn’t allow myself to enjoy a book for around 10 years. Not sure if that resonates with you (I hope not!) but I figured I’d mention it just in case. I was totally unaware of what I was doing at the time.
- bredren 3y ago
  I was similar. Went through countless sci fi novels, Crichton’s complete works to the Admiral Thrawn series. I found a hack into keeping up with my reading, which is to use a kindle with wireless page turner attached to a mechanical arm. I’m able to fall asleep reading like I used to and slowly make my way through extended science fiction. The effort to read is very low, the last page always set. I don’t often stay up way past bedtime from reading anymore, but it did happen this year for me reading Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb.
- gtirloni 3y ago
  What did you do about it? If you don't mind expanding on that.
  - steve_adams_86 3y ago
    Not at all, I responded to someone else about that here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36729512 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36729512
- asyx 3y ago
  What did you do about it? I'm exclusively a vacation reader. When I have limited free time, reading competes with other hobbies or media and almost never wins just because a book is such a huge time investment compared to a movie or a video game and I'd really like to change that.
  - tpmoney 3y ago
bluesquared 3y ago
I am exactly the same way. Was a voracious & fast reader throughout schooling up until college age. Officially diagnosed ADHD in college when the material became hard enough for me to not "brute force through with my raw intelligence anymore" (psychiatrist words, not mine) so I was likely masking all the way up through high school. Younger brother was diagnosed at a more typical age which made my late diagnosis easier. I wonder if it has to do with the mental burden we start to accumulate in transitioning to adulthood. Much easier to hyperfocus on books when we don't have the weight of finances, careers, complex relationships, etc.

by dkh 3y ago

s_trumpet 3y ago

I managed to slowly claw it back by completely changing my reading method. I download ebooks on my phone and read in 5-10 min chunks throughout the day (where I’d normally be using social media or checking the news) followed by 1 hour at the end.

flir 3y ago

When did you start using the internet regularly? (It's possible that you didn't change, it's just that your brain found an easier dopamine delivery system).

dkh 3y ago
Way, way earlier. I definitely had different dopamine delivery systems during those years when I wasn't reading a lot. I was doing a lot of things differently n general during that time. But it was surprising and disappointing that I never seemed to regain quite the same reading "abilities" (for lack of a better word) even after years of regular reading again. Don't get me wrong, I read all the time now, but I can't burn through books like I did back then, I don't read faster than I can subvocalize, and it can be challenging to stay focused or retain what I read. A few years ago, I spent about nine months reading a single book about Napoleon. It was pretty long, detailed, and complex, so it wasn't intended to be an easy/quick read, but it still took me a pretty long time to get through it while giving it the proper focus. But the annoying part is that a couple years later, I struggle to remember details about Napoleon. I know, memory needs to be practiced and reinforced and such, but I had hoped the length of my immersion in the subject would've done a bit more in this area on its own.

steve_adams_86 3y ago

I lost my reading tendency when life got harder. The urgency and anxiety around keeping up with everyday life made activities like reading almost unsettling slow and “unproductive”. I realized that and did something about it, but I didn’t allow myself to enjoy a book for around 10 years. Not sure if that resonates with you (I hope not!) but I figured I’d mention it just in case. I was totally unaware of what I was doing at the time.

bredren 3y ago
I was similar. Went through countless sci fi novels, Crichton’s complete works to the Admiral Thrawn series. I found a hack into keeping up with my reading, which is to use a kindle with wireless page turner attached to a mechanical arm. I’m able to fall asleep reading like I used to and slowly make my way through extended science fiction. The effort to read is very low, the last page always set. I don’t often stay up way past bedtime from reading anymore, but it did happen this year for me reading Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb.
gtirloni 3y ago
What did you do about it? If you don't mind expanding on that.
- steve_adams_86 3y ago
  Not at all, I responded to someone else about that here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36729512 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36729512
asyx 3y ago
What did you do about it? I'm exclusively a vacation reader. When I have limited free time, reading competes with other hobbies or media and almost never wins just because a book is such a huge time investment compared to a movie or a video game and I'd really like to change that.
- tpmoney 3y ago

bluesquared 3y ago

I am exactly the same way. Was a voracious & fast reader throughout schooling up until college age. Officially diagnosed ADHD in college when the material became hard enough for me to not "brute force through with my raw intelligence anymore" (psychiatrist words, not mine) so I was likely masking all the way up through high school. Younger brother was diagnosed at a more typical age which made my late diagnosis easier. I wonder if it has to do with the mental burden we start to accumulate in transitioning to adulthood. Much easier to hyperfocus on books when we don't have the weight of finances, careers, complex relationships, etc.