Fewer people are reading, and younger generations read half the amount of older generations. This is in part because people are spending too much time engaged in low-quality leisure online.
I've created a second Twitter/X account, and an Instagram account devoted to celebrating books. My goal is to inspire people to rediscover the joys and benefits of reading. You can follow the X account here. Handle is @RediscoverRead. Still working on getting Instagram up. FYI, I will also cross post this content to the CSE Facebook account, so there are multiple platforms options to view it on.
I'm doing this because I often find browsing the web unsatisfying. I really want the type of long form, meaningful content that only books can provide. While I can find tidbits of information about Fellowship of the Ring or The Silmarillion online, which may enhance my reading experience, none of that compares to the sustained joy of actually reading these works, or to the sense of accomplishment gained from time spent doing something memorable and worthwhile. A book has a defined beginning and end point, whereas Reddit, or a social media feed, has neither. Reading, especially Great Books, is time well spent.
Unlike doom scrolling, which is completely forgettable from one day to the next, reading is high-quality leisure in the Aristotelian sense. Aristotle thought that it is only what we do during our leisure time that is essential for a good life, and that our leisure choices have implications for our own happiness and the quality of civic society. (More on that later. I will probably post a video about Aristotle's philosophy of leisure next month.)
I've created a second Twitter/X account, and an Instagram account devoted to celebrating books. My goal is to inspire people to rediscover the joys and benefits of reading. You can follow the X account here. Handle is @RediscoverRead. Still working on getting Instagram up. FYI, I will also cross post this content to the CSE Facebook account, so there are multiple platforms options to view it on.
I'm doing this because I often find browsing the web unsatisfying. I really want the type of long form, meaningful content that only books can provide. While I can find tidbits of information about Fellowship of the Ring or The Silmarillion online, which may enhance my reading experience, none of that compares to the sustained joy of actually reading these works, or to the sense of accomplishment gained from time spent doing something memorable and worthwhile. A book has a defined beginning and end point, whereas Reddit, or a social media feed, has neither. Reading, especially Great Books, is time well spent.
Unlike doom scrolling, which is completely forgettable from one day to the next, reading is high-quality leisure in the Aristotelian sense. Aristotle thought that it is only what we do during our leisure time that is essential for a good life, and that our leisure choices have implications for our own happiness and the quality of civic society. (More on that later. I will probably post a video about Aristotle's philosophy of leisure next month.)
