By Lucky Felder
We live in a modern world where walking around with eyes lowered to a screen is normalized. Now, most people are too fixated on their devices to remember there are other, more rewarding forms of entertainment, like reading. I’ve heard many of my own classmates complain about assigned reading (myself included), and multiple adults tell me they haven’t picked up a book since high school. Why does the task of finishing even a short novel seem daunting to the generation living in the Digital Age? We are losing concentration and attention span, two crucial skills needed to enjoy a good book. Put plainly, reading presents a challenge that requires the brain to focus for a prolonged period of time, whereas scrolling on a phone is a mindless activity.
Following the rise of smartphones, a common concern emerged among many: are devices leading to reduced focus? By compiling countless studies, researchers have come to the conclusion that “the current generation of children and adolescents are developing increasingly shorter attention spans due to their increased contact with smartphone technology.” One of the largest contributing factors to this loss of attention is the consumption of short-form content. When scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, where the length of each video is under 30 seconds, the viewer only needs to be engaged briefly before moving on to a completely different topic. To make this process even more efficient, algorithms cater to each person by catching on to their previous behavior, creating an endless stream of content that doesn’t even require the user to search for videos to watch. This lazy form of entertainment shuts down the brain, making it difficult to concentrate on activities that call for focus.
Yes, reading requires a little exercise of the mind, but that’s why it’s so rewarding. A boost in vocabulary and comprehension, plus stress reduction are only a few of the countless benefits people stand to gain from reading. The issue is, this truth can only be realized after clearing the largest obstacle: getting past the first page. If you’re someone who scrolls to the bottom of an article and sighs at its length, or asks “how many pages” before considering if the novel your friend recommended is worth it, it’s time to trade in the screens and venture into a world of imagination. The cure to a dying attention span lay within dusty bookshelves and creased pages, waiting to be unlocked and brought back to life!