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Why You Can’t Read Right Now
If you’re struggling to finish books and concentrating feels more difficult than ever, take heart — you’re not alone.
This summer, I spoke on Science Friday about my reading recommendations. It was a joy to share some amazing books with people eager to read during the pandemic. But something came up during the interview that left me a little unsettled: the host implied we have more time and energy for reading during quarantine.
Taken at face value, most of us might agree with his statement. People are working from home and can’t go out, so they are instead filling their free time with fiction and nonfiction. Book sales did skyrocket at the start of quarantine — according to Fox Business, book purchases grew 777 percent in the first half of April. Audiobook retailers also experienced a spike.
But is it because people were reading for fun? Not necessarily. MarketWatch found that it has mostly been children’s academic workbooks and skills-based adult books that are succeeding in sales: gardening, crafting, DIY, self sufficiency, health and medicine, and outdoors all saw upticks in the spring. These are books that encourage you to do rather than read for entertainment.
Still, many certainly did turn to books for relief. “People spent more time reading and seeking escape, but an inability to concentrate meant they made less progress than usual,” writes The Conversation. “In short, people spent more time reading but the volume they read was less.”
The Conversation also found that parents had less time for personal reading, but more time to read to/with their children. Those who were reading for themselves indicated that filling knowledge gaps (i.e. books on racism, history) was a big draw toward buying books.
So, was Science Friday’s host right? Sure, some of us may have more time or a stronger desire for reading. But do we have the concentration and commitment to follow through on the books purchased during the spring?
Confession time: I know I haven’t. As someone who struggles with a severe anxiety disorder that’s been fueled by the pandemic, I’ve experienced firsthand the complete inability to concentrate on reading — even as a professional book…
