By Caleb Garcia | Photographer
We spend an indescribable amount of our time looking at screens. Every time we open our phones, laptops, smartwatches or even household devices, we are flooded with information. It’s a never-ending barrage of the best and worst of humanity, peace and politics, war and injustice.
Despite the addictive nature of phones, there is a solution to the ever-consuming algorithm — a better way to educate oneself, to engage in critical thought and expand one’s worldview. I propose returning to the original form of entertainment, the humble paperback book. In order to identify the importance of reading, it’s essential to recognize the algorithmic trap we’ve fallen into.
Even for a few minutes, the scrolling is exhausting, yet we spend hours of our day mindlessly scrolling and consuming media. We can all agree that it’s unhealthy for us, yet we refuse to stop.
Truthfully, it’s hard to put down this information intrusion. When something encapsulates our every joy and guilty pleasure, it’s nearly impossible to put down. We are consumed by an algorithm that allows us to connect constantly; the irony is that it leaves us even more isolated and alone.
There are several reasons to start reading, but let’s begin with some tangible benefits. According to a study by the University of Sussex, reading a book can reduce stress levels and the associated hormones by up to 68% in just six minutes.
On the contrary, being online on social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram can dramatically increase anxiety and feelings of dread.
Reading can be a spiritual experience, feeling the weight of the book, smelling the scent of ink and paper. We so often look for an escape from our own lives in social media, when freedom is just a page away.
While sitting down and reading a book obviously has numerous tangible benefits, it also offers more artistic and educational advantages. It goes without saying that literature is as expansive as it is unique. There is a book for everything and anything, and in this fact lies knowledge about everything that has happened on this earth. It’s a slower, more mindful consumption of information, one that helps you grow ever more than a screen rather than providing you with quick dopamine releases.
Opening a book is opening a portal to somewhere else, a different life, a different story, a different perspective. It’s the growth of empathy and imagination. It is a pleasure not mindlessly splayed to us over a virtual screen, but a coalescence of imagination and critical thinking.
Books and articles about different lifestyles, people and places have opened my mind to so many things, different perspectives, ideals and mindsets. Books made me feel more human, more grounded, more alive. Especially in an age where everything feels cold and performative, books were a way to keep everything real.
Grab the old, reliable paperback and make an effort to expand your horizons through reading. Sit down at the library, somewhere with a nice breeze and have yourself a coffee when you have the time. Sit back and turn the page into a new chapter of your entertainment with a book.
