Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
I’ve been reading excessively since the days of library points and pizza parties, but over the years, the habit has gotten much harder to fit in. Like most adults, my free time is considerably less, and my smartphone creeps in to occupy my spare moments. Not to be deterred, I decided to set an aggressive book goal this year, and thanks to my Kindle, reading has slipped back into my routine with surprising ease. According to Reddit, I’m not the only one.
Has using an e-reader increased how much you read? 7 votes Yes, definitely. 57 % Maybe, but I haven't noticed. 0 % No. 0 % I don't use an e-reader. 43 %
My biggest problem is my smartphone
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
I’m not blaming anyone for my limited book consumption, but if I were going to blame someone, it would absolutely be my smartphone. Over the last few years, my phone has quietly become my default entertainment. When I’m not distracted by group texts and notifications, I waste time on everything from reviewing photos to compulsively checking the weather app. At night, I’m pulled into algorithm-driven scrolling, depressing news feeds, or mindless TikTok, not to mention Netflix. None of these choices feels intentional or even particularly excessive, but together they’ve slowly pushed books out of my daily routine.
A hugely active thread on Reddit’s r/Kindle asks, “How do you guys read so much?” angling at users already in the double digits for books this year. Most of the answers point to the same conclusion I’ve landed on myself: e-readers don’t just make reading more convenient, they make it the default. Many of us read more as soon as we stop using our phones as our primary downtime device, especially at the end of the day. Thumbing through books isn’t a pipe dream. As one user commented, “Honestly, I think if you look at people’s average screen time and replace it with reading, you’d see it’s possible.”
Redditors agree: We read more when we stop using phones as our primary downtime device.
As of January 1, I bring my Kindle to bed now instead of my phone, and have even installed a bed for my favorite Kindle (aka a shelf) to make the change as seamless as possible. I’ve also moved my phone’s overnight charging station out of my bedroom. When something is pressing, like watching 11 videos about Harry Styles ticket prices, I do it standing in the light of the refrigerator like any civilized person, then plug my phone in and head to bed. The single habit shift has completely overhauled my evenings from drawn-out, often depressing time wasting, to simply getting back to the book I’m already in the middle of.
It’s not about reading faster, just reading when you can
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