I Tried Swapping My Phone Screen Time For Reading Time For 5 Days…
Gotta find a way to power through the 29 books I borrowed from the library, am I right?
So I have 29 books at home from the library (probably more at publication), a Goodreads challenge to complete, and more time than usual since it's summer. Hence, what better use of my time than to participate in a reading challenge?
I first came across this trend about a week ago, kickstarted by Youtuber The Book Leo and followed up recently by Youtuber Jack Edwards, where readers swap their phone screen time for reading time for a week.
My average screen time per day tends to range around 4 hours, so I set that as my daily reading goal. Reading for 4 hours each day might sound daunting, but as I mentioned above, I do have 29 books at the ready, so no shortage of material here, only time! Additionally, the 4h/day is more of a goal than a minimum, since the other half of the challenge is to decrease your screen time. Let’s see how I do!
Day 1-Sunday:
Reading Time: 1h 18 min
Screen Time: 3h 24 min
Today’s Challenge Result: Failed successfully lol.
Books read: Read up to page 132 of the Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
Thoughts: Given that I decided to take on this challenge on a whim at 8.30 am, I’m quite proud of the progress I’ve made today. While I didn’t get in too much reading time, I made a small dent in decreasing my screen time by approximately 40 minutes!
The Alchemist has proven to be an enlightening and interesting read thus far. Classics are usually a hit or miss for me on the first read, as I prefer re-reads for me to really hone in on the material. However, the Alchemist is accessible and presents a story that 21st-century readers like myself still find intriguing, detailing a shepherd boy’s relentless pursuit of a treasure he saw in a recurring dream.
Day 2-Monday:
Reading Time: 1h 35 min
Screen Time: 2h 23 min
Today’s Challenge Result: Slightly better, but not quite at 4 hours yet!
Books read: Finished the Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, started The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (read approximately 100 pages).
Thoughts: I did not fare as well as I hoped today, but I’m hoping I’ll redeem myself tomorrow (and as I count every second of reading time after midnight, as I write this at 12:34 am, I’ve already gotten around 19 minutes in, so off to a good start!).
I really enjoyed the Alchemist and am finding The Power of Habit to be a fascinating read thus far- I was hooked within the first couple of pages. I felt that the former was one of the more accessible classics I’ve ever read, and for that, I am grateful to have picked it to start this challenge. Coehlo is able to beautifully convey metaphor and his musings about philosophy and spirituality while introducing so much depth to our shepherd boy protagonist Santiago and his own journey. And as for the latter, I enjoy how Duhigg communicates the essential principles and information surrounding habits and how applicable he makes this sound. Excited to read more- Duhigg is a very engaging writer!
Day 3-Tuesday:
Reading Time: 2h 49 min (almost 3h- closest I’ve ever been to my daily reading goal)
Screen Time:1h 30 min
Today’s Challenge Result: My best reading time yet! Not quite there, but almost. I cut my screen time down to an hour and a half as well.
Books read: Finished The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, started The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (read 67 pages), and picked No Planet B: A Teen Vogue Guide To The Climate Crisis back up (read approx. 20 pages).
Thoughts: The Power of Habit was one of the fastest reads of the year thus far for me, due to its engaging real-world applications and easy-to-follow information about habits and the science behind them. I did find it a little sparse on the personal applicability stance compared to other self-help books like Atomic Habits which get straight to tools and action, hence that would probably be its one flaw. However, I appreciated the anecdotes and stories that littered the pages and found it an effective tool to communicate the science presented.
As for the other two books, I enjoyed reading the informative essays in No Planet B and found The Picture of Dorian Gray to be an intriguing read thus far.
Overall, a productive reading day!
Day 4- Wednesday:
Reading Time: 1h 45 min
Screen Time: 2h 8 min
Today’s Challenge Result: Dipped in terms of reading time, a slight uptick in screen time (partially due to my usage of a fitness app- shoutout Nike Training Club)
Books read: I read approximately 80% of the April 2021 issue of WIRED Magazine and pages 80-196 of Know My Name by Chanel Miller.
Thoughts: Due to my increasing business today and probably for the next few days (probably could’ve picked a better week to do the challenge, tbh), I didn’t get in as much reading time as I hoped.
The essays in WIRED didn’t leave an impression on me for the most part, other than one about The Sims 4 and the motivation it provides for some to be productive in their actual lives as opposed to their virtual ones. As a new Simmer who’s been playing the game nearly every day, I’m very interested in how that plays out in my own life(pardon the pun!).
Know My Name was a different story. Miller shares the story of her sexual assault and healing with such profound insight and intentionality that reading her words is effortless, natural, only interrupted by the heavy subject matter at hand. I admit that the heaviness of this read at times was what made me put it down for a while and revisit it only today. Nevertheless, she never failed to enthrall me with her distinct narrative voice. I was often left pondering over her words of wisdom, which I will cherish for years to come. This is truly a memorable account that everyone should read, but as it is unflinchingly honest, please be advised if the subject matter of sexual assault is a trigger.
Day 5- Thursday:
Reading Time: 0 min (yep, you read that right- I’ll explain below!)
Screen Time: 2h 25 min
Today’s Challenge Result: Majorly failed.
Books read: None
Thoughts: Due to my business today (probably could’ve picked a better week to do the challenge, tbh), I didn’t get in as much reading time as I hoped. Not the way I wanted to end the challenge, that’s for sure.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, although I didn’t meet my reading goal once, I cut my screen time in half as shown above. I found that the pursuit of the goal itself was enough to encourage me to be more intentional with my time and energy, and how much time I was spending on my devices. This was affirmed by the 103% increase in my screen time this week, challenge-free.
I might try the challenge again in the future, perhaps with a goal of reading for half my screen time. Judging from my average reading time throughout this challenge, that should be a much more feasible goal!
If you want to keep up with my thoughts/opinions/feelings about the books I read, including some featured in this post, check out my bookstagram. If you decide to give this challenge a go, please let me know how you find it in the comments!
