The Importance Of Reading In The Age Of Misinformation – The Dorset Book Detective

Recently the discourse around reading has changed from what you read to how much. News articles are stating that Sarah Jessica Parker, of Sex In The City, has boasted of  reading 2 books a day as she prepares to judge the Booker Prize.

A lot of people don’t believe her, because of the amount of time that would take. However, they forget that SJP is a multi-millionaire, and she has the means to pay others to do everything from her cooking, cleaning and driving. She also has the ability to put her career on hold and just read all day, every day.

With no responsibilities, chores or need to work properly for a living, she can absolutely read two books a day.

For normal people, like me, who work full time and have plenty of responsibility, two a month is about as good as it gets. Three if one is a novella and I have time off, but that’s as much as a normal person without kids can do.

Frankly, the number isn’t the issue, but the pissing contest bought on by SJP’s gloating is highlighting an issue in the age of misinformation.

The fact is many people simply don’t read. They don’t enjoy it, and with limited free time, they often prefer to spend it on other hobbies, like sports or TV watching.

Once they leave school, they aren’t being pushed to read as much. Many office workers often don’t have reports to read, as everything is broken down or there are meetings where they can get information verbally. People who don’t work in offices often don’t need to read as much, and new mediums like podcasts and YouTube instruction videos make it easier than ever before to avoid reading in a professional capacity.

I know a fair few people who don’t read, and the longer they don’t, the harder it becomes. While you might not think it’s an issue that you don’t read for fun, the longer you go on not reading, the harder it becomes.

Reading comprehension can become harder over time, and that can leave people with issues. Reading is freedom, and it helps us to navigate life. From understanding your employment contract to making sure your landlord doesn’t stiff you on your lease, reading is crucial to every aspect of our lives.

And as more and more people start outsourcing their thinking to large language models like ChatGPT, and politicians like Trump and Farage stop hiding their lies, reading comprehension becomes increasingly important.

So, how can you motivate yourself to read more if you simply don’t enjoy reading? Here are some basic strategies to try out:

• Try Alternative Mediums: From comic books to audiobooks, there are several different ways to read and improve your comprehension.

• Find Topics You Love: There really is something for everyone when it comes to books and articles. Whether it’s fanfiction or themed books from your favourite TV series or even listicle articles of product reviews, whatever you love, find something linked to it and find a way to start reading about it.

• Think Critically: Don’t just read. Think about what your reading, and consider factors such as when it was written, the author and other contextual issues that could have an impact on the content.

• Break Things Down: You don’t have to just read 400 page books. Consider reading shorter content little and often, like articles, blog posts etc. And if you do go for a book, break it down into chapters or pages, and just take it one step at a time.

• Slow Down: Not everything is a race. Just because some actress boasts about how much she reads doesn’t mean that she’s better or smarter than you, or that she’s taking any of it in. Slow down and read at your pace.

• Make Notes: Note taking isn’t nerdy and you can improve your memory by making notes. Jot them down on a pad or make a voice note on your phone to keep track of your thoughts on what you’re reading right now.

• Keep Trying: Even if you get frustrated and want to give up, it’s important that you try to keep going. Try returning to something you love or finding something new by a favourite author. Even re-reading old faves is better than giving up and getting out of the habit.

As basic as it sounds, reading just a few pages a day, whether it’s an article or a book, can be important. It’ll help keep your mind sharp and boost both your reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

That means the next time you need to read a crucial document, or a politician tries to hide their corruption behind long words and open lies, you can make an informed decision and keep yourself protected.

At the end of the day, being well-read doesn’t just mean reading loads of books. It’s about having the comprehension skills and vocabulary needed to navigate a complicated world. Any steps, however small, towards reading more will help you making informed choices and safeguard yourself against AI hallucinations, beurocratic jargon and political fearmongering.