How To Read in the Age of the Smartphone
Civilization evolves. Technology changes. Languages shift, merge, and diverge. New mediums arrive, old mediums disappear. This is life: constant change.
Skills we once possessed need to be augmented, adapted, and refreshed as our cultures change. I noticed — over the last year, as an adult with a smartphone — that I had to re-learn how to read.
These are the tips I came across in that process. The focus is on medium-length prose in the age of the iPhone. My goal is for these tips to enhance your reading experience, as they have mine.
Be Deliberate. Be Aspirational.
Instead of reading a story on the spot while browsing the Internet, I recommend adding the link to a reading list. Next, only dive into the reading list when you can truly focus.
This reading-list approach sets a foundation that allows a reader to be deliberate about how they read. Its an act of taking control of the process: it’s less reactionary or ad-hoc, an intentional system that allows for feedback and strategic optimizations.
I found that a managed reading list naturally excludes click-bait by enabling me to be aspirational about the kinds of stories I read and then following through with those aspirations.
