Looking to save yourself from the digital doom-scroll? Try flipping through the pages of a book.

Two weeks ago, internationally renowned rapper, record-producer, fashion designer and one-time presidential candidate Kanye West shared with the world his peculiar stance on books, and their existence as an intellectual and creatively stimulating medium. The eccentric performer said on the Alo Mind Full podcast that he has never fully read “any book”, and that “Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts for me.” 

From the mouth of Mr. West, this statement is seemingly innocuous, and most certainly inline with his brash, disruptive public persona. But, I think Ye’s comment speaks to a greater problem plaguing the modern way of thinking, as it is likely a sentiment countless others hold. Specifically, that reading has gone the way of the dodo in favour of more stimulating, instantly accessible forms of media. A revolution we are only seeing the impacts of now.

Over the last decade we have watched the slow, yet indomitably pervasive, encroachment of digital technology into our daily lives; something that was only accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything from work to free-time has shifted to being spent online behind a screen. In 2021, it was reported by Booknet Canada that watching TV and movies was the number one way Canadians spent their free time. In comparison, reading books ranked eighth place, behind browsing social media and shopping. Meanwhile, even before the pandemic, it was reported by Adobe that Gen-Zs spent 10.6 hours engaging with online content every day.

With all this time spent working, watching, commenting, posting and reading online over the last few years, it is no wonder that people have been left feeling as though they cannot disconnect from the internet. We see this sentiment carried in the ocean of self-help YouTube videos, TikToks and tweets that offer how-to advice on dopamine detoxing, habit-building and increasing one’s productivity. You’ve probably even felt the gnawing pain of digital burnout yourself, especially if you’ve ever gotten stuck doom-scrolling on the litany of social media apps at our fingertips; I know I have.

Fortunately, researchers, academics and YouTube self-help gurus alike share similar sentiments on what you can do to disconnect yourself from modern cyberspace: read more books, and make a habit out of it.

See, reading is like going to the gym, waking up early or eating our healthy green Brussels sprouts. No one necessarily enjoys doing these things—at least, not all the time—but we know that we’ll reap the rewards of these habits if we maintain them. 

If you’re still not convinced, perhaps some information on the matter can persuade you to read more. 

Research conducted prior to the digital revolution of the 2010s by neuroscientist Augusto Buchweitz in the Journal of Psychological Neuroscience concluded that regular time spent reading improves our ability to process both visual and verbal information. Similarly, a study performed by The New School for Social Research found that reading fiction improves one’s “theory of mind”, or put simply, one’s ability to emotionally regulate themselves and empathize with others.

Additionally, for all us students out there, reading just 30 minutes of fiction per day has been found to help improve one’s focus while studying. In the study Neurobiology Research Findings: How the Brain Works During Reading researchers found that reading fiction engages areas of the brain responsible for paying attention, planning, abstract reasoning, predicting, strategizing, problem solving and memorizing information in the short and long term, among many more.

If these “train your brain” benefits aren’t your style, then at  least reading books can still offer you the opportunity to unwind, discover and explore, away from the scrolling of your TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter feeds. I promise, turning a page can be just as stimulating.

I’ll leave you with a question: when was the last time you read a book? And I don’t mean for class. When was the last time you enjoyed reading a book? It’s probably an uncomfortable, sort of awkwardly laughable question to answer, but looking closely at that answer may really improve your quality of life. Perhaps you’ll even find it between the pages of a good book. Now, go eat your Brussels sprouts.