This year, I made a promise to myself that I would prioritize reading more in my day-to-day life, but this proved to be more difficult than I expected for two reasons: 1) because I hate reading, and 2) because I spend 100% of my free time watching movies. However, it turned out all I had to do to overcome this issue was simply turn on the subtitles.
I’ve read 15 movies this week alone!
By turning on the subtitles, my dedicated and necessary “movie watching time” has also become my dedicated and recreational “reading time.” I thought I hated reading, but turns out I love glancing at words while I’m watching the pretty images move onscreen.
It’s like a picture book but for adults!
Other methods I’ve tried in the past to work reading into my schedule included getting up earlier to read a novel or reading on the train during my commute. However, they all failed miserably because I hate reading and don’t want to do it.
However, turning on the subtitles changed my life and the way I view “reading” forever.
I started out by only turning on the subtitles for movies with too-quiet dialogue, movies in a different language, or movies featuring characters with heavy British accents. However, after watching several of these types of movies, I thought to myself, “I’m reading a bunch of words right now, why am I not counting this toward my yearly reading goal?”
From there, I started turning on subtitles for every movie I watch, and I’ve absolutely blown past my reading goal, so much so that I’ve even created a new goal for myself: by the end of this year, I’m hoping to read the subtitles of 13 feature films a week, as that is the current rate at which I am watching movies. I can already feel my vocabulary expanding and my brain swelling with the well-earned knowledge that comes with being a bookworm – movieworm, whatever.
Just last week, I read all of The Great Gatsby (the movie) in just two hours and 23 minutes (it’s total runtime). Reading the actual novel would’ve taken me at least two times as long (I’m just guessing, because, like I said, I don’t really read books).
Since turning on the subtitles, I’ve never felt more excited about reading, proud of myself, or superior to other people who are self-described “non-readers.” If this is how people who read feel all the time, I totally see the appeal now!
I can’t wait to see where my reading journey takes me – do you think they’ll turn on the subtitles when I go to see Madam Web in theaters next week? I’d love to add that one to my list of literature I’ve consumed.
