Online Reading Keeps Your Brain Drunk

Reading good articles that add a little or big something to your life, be it entertainment with a good story, deepening your perspective on one of your interests, or opening your mind to the unknown.

That’s all good.

But is it? 

Online reading is like watching TV

First, in itself, online reading is relatively passive.

Sure, you activate quite a few neurons, and if the story is good, you may engage your memory and keep in mind a nugget or two.

But how many times did you read something to forget about it a few minutes later?

Not because your memory doesn’t work. But because you are already reading (or watching) something else in the next instant.

Scroll-reading, or worse scroll-watching, creates a flow of information that overloads your brain.

We are trained as online golden fish

Let’s indulge in some algorithm-shaming rant.

Those evil pieces of code are designed to keep you scrolling and get more dopamine, the drug that keeps your neurons high.

They trick your old survival brain to consume more and more, transforming your neurons into a bunch of junkies addicted to their dose of pixels.

Like digital zombies, we obey a hidden power that makes us go to the next piece of content. “More words” shouts your stoned brain seeing the feed.

And all that good content goes where? Out! 

Out of your mind like thrown up by your overfed brain cells.

Yikes!

And what stays from this word orgy? Not much.

Escape the fishbowl

As David Gilmour from Pink Floyd sang in “Wish You Were Here”:

“We’re just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl”

And neither of us wants that.

So what can we do to enjoy and benefit from our daily dose of online reading?

There are a few things that I believe can help and I’ll you experiment and comment back here if you want to share your experience (I’d love to chat with you!).

1) Use a timer

5 min of reading (the average seems to be 5–8 min on Medium), followed by at least 5 min break to process what you read.

2) Pause and rewind mentally after a good read

I do that also when I watch videos on YouTube. I pause the autoplay and try to remember the key points of the video. I watch back if I need to. 

The same for articles (even easier). 

3) Engage with what you read

Take notes and leave a meaningful comment (yes, please!). 

This engages your brain further and also makes a connection with the writer and other readers.

It also builds your personal library of ideas. Use your own words so what you read is tied to your perspective and knowledge.

4) Choose quality over quantity

Focus on reading fewer, high-quality articles rather than skimming through a large volume of content.

Pick your favourite writers and check out their profiles for the latest piece they published (and you can subscribe to get them directly in your inbox).

This will make you an active reader, not a feed addict (as I am).

5) Read books, the ones made of paper

Weird advice from an online writer I agree. 

But getting back to the old material can help you get back a more positive reading experience. It’s one of my goals for the future. A mix of online and offline reading.

Takeaway: build your way out

The modern digital realm, with its endless stream of content, beckons us into a passive state of constant scrolling and information fading.

Much like a fish trapped in a fishbowl of algorithms, we risk losing the essence of reading — to learn, reflect, and grow.

Let’s break the flow, help your brain breathe out of the waters, and nurture instead of overfeed.

Greatness comes also from how selective we are in our intellectual food.

Be great,

Frank