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Merlin  ·  3211 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: We’ve adapted our reading habits to fit our screens, but at a cost.

This is why I don't think the library will ever become obsolete. When you want to actually sit down and commit to reading, in and of itself, there is no better methodology than grabbing a hardback and turning a few pages. Being able to read on electronic devices is great too, don't get me wrong, but I think nowadays people's attention spans are too short/sporadic to be able to filter out all the extra stuff the electronics provide. It's too easy to find yourself in a lull in the text and just skip to some other website or article. I tend to read everything fairly analytically and with focus but I think people like myself are the rarity on the web. Most people are just reading out of boredom or they don't really care about whatever clickbait site they just opened. Much like the article said with keyword skimming, just glancing whatever it is over until you find something that catches your eye. Then you just go to that and start the process over again, never actually committing yourself to mentally digesting whatever information is being presented.

Really interesting topic though. Would you say that this change in reading style is going to push classic literature out the door? Maybe ushering in an entirely new style writing? I can't imagine being able to skim-read anything with real depth to the characters and story.