Neuroscientists say reading 30 minutes a day can have numerous health benefits and lead to a better quality of life, which is questionable considering how much life is better with 24-hour access to the internet, instead. After all, why read a book when you can spend that time doing literally anything else on your phone, computer, or TV? But if you’re feeling analog and want to listen to science, here’s how to read a book even though it’s not a screen.
Find a thrilling story.
Being engaged with what you’re reading starts with a good story, even if that story can never fully compare to watching Netflix, browsing TikTok, or playing video games. Find a genre that you love so your fingers will be too preoccupied turning pages to remember how much better it was when they were scrolling through Instagram.
Make it part of a vintage aesthetic.
Record players, corsets, disposable cameras – retro items make comebacks all the time, so simply treat your book as an accessory to your vintage aesthetic. Every time you read, your vibe will be saying, “Oh me? I know print media is dead, but I choose to support it because that’s how cool I am.” And then you can feel superior to everyone else around you who are glued to their mainstream phones!
Simulate the effects of the screen.
Even if reading a book isn’t remotely as fun as watching all of Euphoria in one night, that doesn’t mean you can’t trick your body into pretending it is. If you miss that strained-eyes ocular fatigue that only comes with staring at an unnaturally bright rectangle for over ten hours, simply read your book in dim lighting and soon your eyes will be just as tired as they would be during an HBO marathon!
They say “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, but you can absolutely judge the fact that a book doesn’t provide any of the opportunities a screen can. Even so, taking the leap from scrolling on Reddit to reading a book can be rewarding, probably. And if the change is too jarring, you can always ease the transition with a Kindle!
