Losing the ability to read and think deeply

I’m losing my ability to read deeply and understand what I’m reading, and I’m not the only one.

I used to read for hours, fully immersed. I’d put the book down and still think about it, processing and connecting it for a deeper understanding and recall.

Today, we’re consumed by digital email, chats, TikTok, social media, short blogs, video clips, and other quick consumption forms. The content is designed to keep us engaged.

There must be a connection between today’s consumption and the ability to read and think critically.

Today, I struggle to read a book with information I want to understand. My mind jumps to other things. I can’t focus enough to comprehend what I read. I even read the prior text and don’t recall it. I have to read a paragraph repeatedly to understand it.

The book is too difficult to read because it requires more direct attention, unlike other material I consume. My mind isn’t wired for the focus I need.

This is troubling.

Oddly enough, it doesn’t apply to everything. I often become fully engaged when writing code and building software solutions. It may take a few minutes to get going, but once I do, I’m so engrossed in my work that I need someone to shake my shoulder to get my attention.

Do the books need to be more attractive to grab my attention like coding? Is it because I’m creating and not consuming when I’m coding?

Today’s books are written differently. Old books are denser, with complicated words, paragraphs, and less fluff. Today’s books are straightforward, full of short stories, and skim the material’s surface to maintain reader interest.

If I had the abilities in the past and slowly lost them, they could be reversed. Right?

My next steps sound simple but will be challenging to execute. Reduce the short, mind-numbing consumption and replace it with more time with evergreen material that encourages me to slow down and think. This should help rebuild the muscle of deep reading and thinking.

What does this problem mean for my children? How will they solve the world’s problems if they can’t focus for more than 20 minutes?