5 ms·
If You Quit Social Media, Will You Read More Books?
- pseudolus 11mo agohttps://archive.ph/2qUki https://archive.ph/2qUki
- tanepiper 11mo agoYes? At least this is what I've found. The only major social media account I have now is my Mastodon account. Not using X/BlueSky/Threads - I find I have more time to myself - my book count this last year has gone from near-zero to at least one book a month now.
- reallyaaryan 11mo agoYes, because you can only be bored for so long. My brain would require some stimulation or imagination. Toughest phase would be the withdrawal.
- nottorp 11mo agoThey used to talk about the importance of being idle for creativity...
- ekjhgkejhgk 11mo agoYes!! It's incredible when I go on holiday and intentionally put myself in really boring situations for like 2+ weeks, I start having random ideas. This is absolutely true. The cynical in me even wonders if this isn't by design in capitalism. If you're really busy all the time you won't be having ideas and be a better worker.
- nottorp 11mo agoBrave New World asked that question in 1932. IMO everyone should read it once, alongside with 1984.
- ekjhgkejhgk 11mo agoI've read 1984, will read BNW. Thank you.
- throw0101a 11mo agoMy "problem" is more with Youtube: lots of quality (to me) content that I find educational (history, science) and entertaining.
- amelius 11mo agoI hope those kids in Australia still have access to that kind of content.
- klatchex_too 11mo agoThey mostly do. They just can't log in or comment. Anything that you can see without logging in, they will still have access to.
- lordleft 11mo agoThe irony is if I quit social media, I start devouring youtube, including both high quality video essays and general video slop. If I quit youtube, I'm inclined to binge watch TV. I sometimes wonder if I need a more dramatic act of "unplugging." As writer Manu Joseph says on substack: "Yet, I do not believe it is true that attention spans have changed significantly over the decades. People’s minds have always wandered. They have always struggled to focus. And most of them couldn’t bear to spend too much time with their own minds. The real world, outside the phone, is so glorified today. But consider this thing that happens in the real world. You’re at a party and someone comes up and says that inane but useful thing, “What’s up?” And even as you answer, he looks behind you for something more interesting, which is never there. This has happened for decades, and not just in conversations. In everything people did, they looked beyond to see if there was something more interesting, which they never found." ... "I don’t say there is no substance to the lament about modern attention spans. The fact that human attention was always fragile does not diminish the fact that the modern world has created extraordinary tools to facilitate distraction. A distraction is a kind of boredom that looks like entertainment, which saves you momentarily from another kind of boredom. Today, a slab of metal and glass at nearly everyone’s disposal captures the wandering mind and carries it far away, to some limbo. You could be working and reach for your phone, or an icon on your laptop, and suddenly ten minutes of your life are gone just like that." https://manujoseph.substack.com/p/the-world-is-wrong-about-your-attention https://manujoseph.substack.com/p/the-world-is-wrong-about-y...
- bell-cot 11mo agoMaybe you will. Maybe not. But if you can "quit and stay dry", then it's extremely likely that you'll end up happier/healthier/saner, long-term.
- ChrisMarshallNY 11mo agoYes and no. I read a lot, but in "bursts." My iPad is full of books; many that I have read, many that I have yet to read. But I use most of my free time writing software. I also tend to do that in "bursts." Haven't looked at Facebook in many months. Never did Twitter/X. In fact, the only place I spend much time online, is ... here. Most of my karma is from comments, not submissions. So I guess I don't get out much.
- johnisgood 11mo agoPretty much this. I literally don't out much [out of my house]. I would not, even if I had no MS and had no mobility issues. I am being here, cozy, writing software. When I am not writing software, I just watch a movie, and then I write software again, and the cycle repeats. It is bad for your health though, especially mine. We should at the very least do some exercises at home.
- ChrisMarshallNY 11mo agoSorry to hear about the MS. Bad stuff, but at least writing software is something that you can do. Each morning, I get up at 5, and walk 5K. That helps (but lots of people I know, do a lot more).
- technothrasher 11mo ago> I just watch a movie [...] We should at the very least do some exercises at home. I bought a treadmill and do not allow myself to watch TV shows or movies I really enjoy without being on said treadmill. It makes me look forward to the exercise, and it allows me to "double up" the time spent by doing two things at once.
- syntaxing 11mo agoHaving a dedicated ereader helps a lot. I have Kobo Libra 2, the UI/UX/physical design just make reading so much more appealing
- plastic-enjoyer 11mo ago> But I use most of my free time writing software. I also tend to do that in "bursts." I feel like this is, at least for me, a time problem. If I write software, then I have to neglect reading books; if I read books, I have to neglect writing software. Doing both seems not possible for me, so I have to do this in bursts.
- patates 11mo agoI quit social media many years ago and to answer the question: No, I just watch Youtube. If I could stop watching Youtube, I'm totally sure I'd finally be able to read books again /s The problem is the award delay. In Youtube, I get my "award" in 10 minutes max. Starting to enjoy a book requires 1-2 hours investment, and the award can be anything between 1 and 10 in a scale of 10 (while median being more like 7), and Youtube is 3-6 with a rare 9. I read a lot of self-improvement books lately, or heard to be honest. They didn't help me start reading. Atomic Habits came close. I have (diagnosed, yet untreated, because of side effects) ADHD though. So maybe not the typical experience. I also couldn't read much (or do any homework) as a child. Currently trying to stop myself from starting with short videos.
- silon42 11mo agoMy rule for short videos is to only view the ones on my subscribed channels (from notifications where enabled) and never ever go to next/prev video.
- mrweasel 11mo agoSocial media never really caught my interest, so quitting made zero difference to anything. I do want a fair bit of YouTube for periods of time, then almost nothing, and instead read a ton of books for a few months and then switch back. I really want to swap out the YouTube part of more programming, but I find that I need at least an hour or so of quiet time before my brain sort of switches mode and can start enjoying it, so it's harder to get started on and disturbances quickly snowballs into not getting anything done.
- bigmealbigmeal 11mo ago> I quit social media many years ago and to answer the question: No, I just watch Youtube. If I could stop watching Youtube, I'm totally sure I'd finally be able to read books again /s You /s, but when I quit the internet completely, I did become a voracious reader of books. I also spent hours practicing piano. And I went to bed on time. Like you I also have diagnosed and untreated ADHD. But at this point it feels like it's a misdiagnosis and I'm simply incompatible with the internet.
- ekjhgkejhgk 11mo agoTo me, yes. Well, I've never been on "social media", but e.g. at night before bed some times I scroll on HN for a long time before falling asleep (30min-1hr). If I commit myself not to, I read instead. The thing we should be talking about is forms of entertainment, and social media is just one type of entertainment. We should be discussing pros and cons of different forms of entertainment. Instead the discussion is "social media bad", which is a great starting point, but has the problem that allows us to avoid having to talk about the underlying mechanisms. For example, one of the people responding here says "if I don't go on social media I go on youtube instead." If you try and think past "social media bad", what is actually going on?
- phantasmish 11mo agoAt one job where I was under-worked but had my back to a major walkway and to my manager’s glass-walled office I put Project Gutenberg txt files in a terminal and any time I might have looked at HN, I did that instead. Three novels in three months.
- apprentice7 11mo agoThat's genius ?? Gonna try this starting right now as I'm at work scrolling through HN, lmao
- phantasmish 11mo agoI just used “less” to read them, if I were to do it again I’d find something that at least kept my place on program close. I think I only accidentally closed it like once in that three months, but over time it would have been a problem worth solving.
- ekjhgkejhgk 11mo agoPersonally I would've opted by opening on vim inside tmux. But then again, I never liked "less".
- 11mo ago
- lynx97 11mo agoClearly no, because both activities couldn't be more different. I dont sit down in the evening and spend 2 hour scrolling through social media. Why should I? I might scroll through my feed while waiting for my dentist appointment, because it is a nice way to pass the time. But reading a book takes time and attention. I do that after work, at home, with enough time at hand. Who asks such twisted questions anyway?
- klez 11mo agoHow you consume social media is not what everyone does. For example my SO spends hours on end on Facebook. Depending on whether you consider it social media I sometimes sink a lot of time (think hours) on YouTube. And that's time we're not spending on reading. In light of this the question doesn't seem as twisted.
- liampulles 11mo agoI embrace the extremes. I am naturally curious, and I will let myself go down rabbit holes of fascination. When I need to concentrate, I will go through a little ritual of setting do not disturb on things, closing non-work tabs and programs, putting "focus" music on, planning my little bit of work, and maybe doing a little mindfulness exercise. I find this gets me into flow for a bit, and I think finding one's own process for getting into flow is useful. And I take holidays deliberately to "unplug" and read. I go somewhere quiet and scenic, no computer - just a book (or several). I do take a tablet, but its basically only got a book and comic/manga reading app on it.
- peterspath 11mo agoYes. I will hit 52 books this year next week :) I am happy that I started reading again. It is helpful to slow down, relax, be entertained, or learn something.
- squigz 11mo agoI'm pretty happy to say I've read somewhere between 20-30 books this year*. Right now making my way through The Silmarillion finally. I also read the entire Aubrey-Maturin series, which was incredible, even if they were probably the hardest books I've ever read. (* Less happy to say it's mostly because I've been cripplingly depressed but hey, reading is reading)
- phantasmish 11mo agoTry The Four Feathers by AEW Mason, if you haven’t. There are also two or three film adaptations, can be fun to see where and how each deviated from the book. And maybe King Solomon’s Mines by H Rider Haggard. More British old-timey adventuring, though without so many ships. If you want an antihero-rake and a tale told tongue firmly in cheek, see if the Flashman novels by Fraser are to your liking. Fraser takes a rich school-bully character from a more wholesome series of books and imagines his military & adventuring career in adulthood.
- heikkilevanto 11mo agoStrange, I remember trying the Silmarillion a few times, many years ago, and finding it very hard reading. Whereas I re-read the Aubrey-Maturins every few years and find them easy, if not always light weight. I juts counted, 44 books so far this year, with lots of variation. Not I can not say much about quitting the social media, as I never really started. Just HN, and some youtube (always start on my subscription page, only some late nights do I look at the main page with its algo suggestions). The occasional computer game (from doom to chess). Some hobby coding (retired couple of years ago), music, and yes, lots of reading.
- squigz 11mo ago> Strange, I remember trying the Silmarillion a few times, many years ago, and finding it very hard reading. Whereas I re-read the Aubrey-Maturins every few years and find them easy, if not always light weight. So the difference, to me anyway, is the heavy use of archaic and naval terms in the Aubrey-Maturin series. As I went through them they got easier, and I'd certainly find them more lightweight now, but still. The Silmarillion is hard in a different way - sort of like George Martin and ASoIaF, it's rather long-winded and name-heavy, so it can be hard to follow, even for avid Tolkien fans. Still, Tolkien has a style of writing that I just love. No other author I've read manages to capture the feeling that you're really reading a myth or a legend, and not "just" a story.
- dgb23 11mo agoThis might sound stupid or obvious to some, but I found a way to read books more frequently: Read multiple books at once. For some reason, I read more often and am more motivated when I can switch between books. When I tried to focus on just one, I always got the feeling that I sort of have to read it and that turned me off. Another issue is that I read very slowly and think a lot when reading books, but that's apparently just how my brain works.
- estearum 11mo agoYeah I've found success similarly always having one non-fiction and one fiction book at the same time.
- esperent 11mo agoThat works for me with nonfiction books that I'm actively or casually studying. Not for novels though, and if I'm reading a few nonfiction books then start a (good) novel, all the nonfiction takes a backseat until I'm finished. So I tend to cycle - a good novel, or two, followed by some time with everything fictional removed from my ereader. This also depends on my personal and work life - fiction is usually much less effort than nonfiction, so when work or personal life gets busy, I find some good novels to enjoy, then when things calm down I'll go back to cycling between several nonfiction books. Things don't always sync up perfectly of course - the trick is to avoid huge multi-book series, otherwise I'll end up reading them far into the time when I'd be better served by learning something new.
- dewey 11mo agoSame, and this is one of the great advantages of ebook readers to me. I can go to the cafe in the morning to read, and then pick which book I'm in the mood for. Sometimes I only have a short amount of time so I'm reading interview-style books (One of my favorites is https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/192420/lunch-with-the-ft/9780241239469 https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/192420/lunch-with-the-ft/978...) that you can read in bite-sized portions.
- 5555624 11mo agoSince becoming disabled and not driving anymore, I use an app on my phone to read ebooks, rather than carry a book. I'm always reading two or three at a time; so, I can decide which to read depending on the time I am waiting (for a ride, for an appointment, etc.).
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- dwayne_dibley 11mo agoThis was my plan, but then I just switched to lost of chess.com
- syntaxing 11mo agoI recently got a digital chess board (Chessnut Pro), game changer. It’s like an ereader for chess.
- akhleung 11mo agoFor about a year back in 2003-2004, I only had dial-up internet, no TV, and no social media (because it didn't exist yet). It was the most productive and creative time of my life. Then I got broadband, and I never reached those highs again. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- cynicalsecurity 11mo agoNo, I would read less books. I actively participate in an online book club on one of popular messengers. It's very unlikely I would find the same great book club and similar people offline. The blind hate towards social media is absolutely ridiculous.
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- shinycode 11mo agoI bought an android ereader and I read books and read articles instead of doomscrolling. Being Android and accessing raindrop makes me spend more time with it instead of using back my phone and opening social media
- ggirelli 11mo agoI did it and yes! I've been reading more books, exploring the indies/smallweb, and spending more time with friends IRL. I highly recommend it! And I agree that the mainstream internet and social media are possibly driving a shortening if it attention span, but books are a perfect example of how to counteract this. After I quit/drastically reduced social media exposure and started reading books again, I initially found it tough. Slowly though I adjusted to the old media.
- flanbybleue69 11mo agoYes. And the last social media I struggle to quit is YouTube.
- aslansahin 11mo agoThe ideal social media would be one without doomscrolling algo. It could still have scrolling/swiping but you'd know where you start and where you are going and where you're caught up -like reading book:) Then we might actually have time to read after catching up on the things we care about.
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- elcapitan 11mo agoI found that it's less about social media, but about not being able to consume more complex content, because you are burnt out at the end of the day, or even the weekend, and therefore falling back to cheap "intellectual calories". That doesn't go away just because you cut out one potential source of cheap calories. It gets better by first cutting out the source of drainage, which can be very personal. Too many disruptions and pointless interactions in your workday, long commutes, etc. So I would first try to eliminate some of those, don't fry your brain completely towards the end of the day, and then read. It's much easier with a fresher brain. It's also possible to read early in the morning, when you're not drained (assuming you still get enough sleep).
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- slumberlust 11mo agoMe personally, no. I found the only way to increase my book consumption is to create accountability. Our book club is going on its 3rd year and I'm reading more than ever.
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- DamnInteresting 11mo agoA couple of years ago I deleted reddit and other social media and news apps from my phone. The only remaining distractions it offers are email and books. It's been wonderful, I've been reading about 2 novels per month. Highly recommended.
- beej71 11mo agoI definitely started reading more when I quit "algorithmic" social media a couple years ago. Still do. But I'm also mid-50s so I could just be reverting to my base. Maybe it's different for younger folks.
- rcarmo 11mo agoYeah, but only one more a week. Next question.
- jinushaun 11mo agoYes, that is literally 2024 and 2025 for me. I switched to books instead of doom scrolling.