/lit/ - Literature

>>5614797
If you are reading the right book then this won't usually happen.

This happens to me constantly.

I am honestly considering ritalin.
Either I'm too worked up to read, or too tired.

>>5614895
Have fun down-regulating your receptors.

>>5614895
>>5614878
>>5614797
Happening to me as well.

What's infuriating is that I'm pretty sure it's the internet's fault. When I was younger I could read 500 pages a day with no problem. Record is 800. I could just sit, open a book and read it for the whole goddamn day.

Now after 10 minutes I costantly get distracted.

did u guys read a lot while young?
I read as much as I could when I was younger and now I only scatterbrain while really stoned or really tired (which is the same thing for me somehow).

Maybe its just practice...

>>5614895

I'm taking it now (well I'm taking concerta which is the same thing, just lasts twice as long) and it helps a fair bit with concentration. But its fucking up my stomach and sleep and everything else so much that I might just give up these pills. Don't expect a miracle cure.

>>5614944
There are scientific studies saying that multi-tasking on the internet (like having 10 tabs open, with music playing, checking social media every 30 seconds, etc) desensitizes dopamine receptors, which can contribute to things like ADD, decreased concentration, cognition, etc. So your theory is probably right.

>>5614964
Fuck, I KNEW IT!

>>5614964
Goddamn, internet. First my dick and now my mind too?

You are literally killing me.

>>5614964
>>5614991
>>5615001

You guys didn't know about the internet ruining your concentration? Its pretty well-documented. Its also becoming a good excuse for people to not read.

>>5615015
I'm forcing myself to keep reading for hours everyday, hoping to rewire my brain.

But 12 years of internet addiction are a lot...

>>5615015
>>5615046
>>5615012
Just be aware of this shit and be careful how you use it. If you can both navigate the internet for the useful stuff (and post on 4chan, etc.) and sit down and read 200 pages of a novel in one sitting, you've learned the ability to shift gears and you've got the best of both worlds.

>>5615046
Our brains are plastic, my friend. The changes will reverse themselves. Stay strong.

>>5614964
>
OP here. I'm sure this is the truth. I have a job that makes me have like twenty thousand tabs open and frequently check my phone. Trying to work on my discipline a lot lately but I'm sure this is one of the effects of the multi task life. Decreased concentration is fucking killing me. I was super studious when I was doing my degree, now it feels like my brain is stuck in first gear.

Tried a bunch of different shit too; exercise, pomadoro, whatever. Fuck.

>>5614797
I sometimes need to go to the toilet to masturbate when reading at my university. No kidding. Boring reading makes my mind wander to those places.

Of course goy, how could you read without being distracted. Buy some ritalin, it's cheap.

>>5615153
I have never taken any sort of psychiatric drugs and have somewhat of an aversion to doing so. That resistance is starting to go away though, still a little freaked out to take the plunge.

>>5615166

>>5615173
nah just no health insurance forever

>>5614944
>I'm pretty sure it's the internet's fault.

You mean your fault for using the internet as often as you do the way you do. But, yeah.

>>5615136

>I have a job that makes me have like twenty thousand tabs open and frequently check my phone

Sounds like hell. Makes me scared of getting a real job.

>>5614797
i've recently started listening to audiobooks
i play tetris at the same time and since the game requires focus but doesn't use the same parts of the brain as listening to the story does it helps me concentrate so my mind never starts wondering and i can be totally immersed in the story instantly and without fail. it's like my brain goes "oh shit this is important block out all other thought" and no more problems with ADD.
comfy headphones also help with this

>>5615194
Will playing tetris and listening to music improve my reading skills?

>>5615193
The checking my phone constantly is my own problem. But the twenty thousand tabs thing is definitely the job. It sucks. But that whole part of me started several years ago.

Have definitely been trying to move myself away from areas where I will get distracted and do less reading at home near a phone or computer. It has been really bad these last few weeks though, definitely thinking about changing up my lifestyle a bit. Plus I have a heavy classical piano regimen and that is suffering as well.

Any other solutions from anyone?

>>5615215
Take quality fish oil, eat more green leaf vegetables, and I've heard meditation can restructure your brain for the better.

>>5615215
Meditate 4-6 hours daily. This is not a joke.

>>5615257
not even close to enough time in the day for that

>>5615223
cool. will have to try this out. thanks

>>5615317
>not even close to enough time in the day for that
Then meditate 8-10 hours daily.

>>5615317
I'd recommend doing 10 or even 5 minutes in the beginning. Anapanasati(Mindufulness/Awareness of breath) is great since you're always breathing. Just breath and focus on the breath. Try to not control the breath and just focus on it. Don't think is it good or bad, just breathe. Focus on your nose or your belly. In the beginning you might find it easier to count your breath cycles. I recommend "Mindfulness in plain english" as a great book about meditation for beginners.

>>5615257

What kind?

>>5615340
Buddhist.

>>5615339

Thanks for the rec. Gonna try doing some mindfulness tonight then. Both of my parents be yoga teachers, so I'm all up on the yoga breathing.

Also interspersing some cardio in there as well, like going for a 20 minute walk. That plus good sleep hygiene lately. I have not seen the top of the mountain yet.

It happens to me usually with books I have no interest in, and even more with books that get me to think about the content (like science and specially philosophy books) so I start thinking and my eyes continue to run and then I find myself on the bottom of the page.

>>5615012
similar to alcohol? okay now that's hard to believe

>>5615615
I was a philosophy major in college. It happened to me frequently. I'm currently reading The Trial right now and it really hit home that I was not absorbing any of the information at all and could hardly grasp even superficial plot details. Not that I couldn't understand what was going on, but that I literally was not reading the material.

>>5615223
Sounds like absolute bs

>>5615688

bump if anyone else wanna chime in

>>5614964
yea. There's a book that talks about this whole thing. Highly reccomend, interesting read.

just saw that a guy posted it here
>>5615091

>>5616137

It does seem like an interesting book. Will have to pick it up soon. Does he give any solutions to the problem or is he calling for large-scale action

>>5614895
You're just living wrongly.

>>5616234
He argues that we shouldn't turn away from physical books just because they're all being digitized. He thinks the medium is essential for deep thinking.

>>5616327

Ah, well. I don't read e-books anyways so I guess I'm already there. But still sounds like a good read

>>5616120
You're right. It is 100% alternative medicine "woo". Go get some happy pills from the almighty DocPharm™. That is sure to work and is supported by science!™