On "Performative Reading"
I suppose, by now, we are all more or less aware that one of the "diseases" the continuous rise of social media has created is that of reinforcing several major tendencies to which humans can naturally be prone to, such as egocentrism, vanity, individualism, eccentricity, delusion, deception, etc. Besides, overproduction and overconsumption are at their highest, having increased exactly because of how social media functions.
Just like many other things, reading has been one of the hobbies highly shared on fast-paced platforms, where users can discover titles, meet fellow readers, or join reading groups. This alone seems harmless, right? Is there anything wrong with people sharing their hobbies and passions online through a personal page? Technically, there is nothing bad about it, but…
There are already many people addressing issues concerning the impact of social media, having realized that some situations have taken such large proportions to the point they might not even be able to go back to how they once were. Therefore, I am not willing to talk in detail about these problems. This post is a kind of remembrance of how pure and simple the act of reading was before, having been polluted by overcommercialization, marketization, performance, competition and aesthetics.
Although the way things are done, in the end, only projects humans’ inner world and nature, it is still sad that certain activities and interests have lost some of their value in the name of money, power and attention. In this case, the solution probably lies in therapy, in grass-touching, or in both, but certainly not in selling peoples’ images as if they were products to be picked from a shelf. In the best case scenario, this only bolsters whatever problem(s) might be there…
The online bubble
Something I have realized since I stepped away from social media is that a great majority of the problems online are (obviously) intangible and remain mostly there, like a cloud floating somewhere. Once I ceased using these platforms and started paying attention around me, puff! This kind of nonsense had drastically decreased.
That is because "real life" does not offer one enough room to perform the way it can be done online; it is practically impossible. In "real life", one cannot show his filled bookshelves to a vast number of people, but only to some of them, and actually needs to invite them to his house first. Of course, he would not invite just anyone; only those he trusts, right? On the other hand, when we think of the possibilities offered through an electronic device, it is easier and more interesting to take a picture or record a video, displaying in front of the public whatever can be subjectively considered as an achievement; and the more people see it, the merrier!
However, aspects encountered online cannot be applied identically outside the digital world, and that is probably for the better. Having minimized my contact with this part of the internet reduced the absorption of information I was not willing to absorb anymore, be it consciously or unconsciously.
Self-exhibition through books
The pure joy of reading is slowly being killed, as the joy of anything that suddenly becomes a demanding chore and needs to attain perfection. The major "illnesses" of this century revolve around the exposition of absolutely everything, the illusional achievement that serves as distraction in front of the eyes of humans, and the artificial thirst for more, more, and more. When literature is now used to increase numbers, over cultivating deep understanding (or just creating genuine bliss), it is a sign that things have gone pretty weird.
I apologize in advance for not caring at all if the "reading goal" was achieved. It does not seem to me very interesting the amount of books that can be read yearly, especially if most of them are not even remembered, once the foolish reading race is over.
I also apologize in advance for not caring at all how many books an impressive bookshelf can hold or the way these are being organized. Neither what pen is used to annotate them; what stickers to decorate them; what bookmarks to mark the pages.
Books are enough just as they are. Wasting time over anything else around them ends up decreasing the available time to read them.
Besides, they do not make anyone look smarter just because they are held, stocked or displayed. They actually need to be read. Intentionally. Mindfully.
Conclusion
"Performative reading" can suppress curiosity, affecting one’s natural reading pace as well. Some things need time to be integrated, understood, felt and comprehended, not only by the mind, but with the whole being.
As much as evolution is perceived to be only something positive, I still believe that human brains are not made to live at this kind of extreme, rapid pace. I do not necessarily need to read a scientific article on neuronal activity to talk about it—my body speaks for itself and my own experience too. In case of doubt, we could just ground ourselves; get in contact with nature; do one thing at a time; breathe slowly. And then we could do the opposite. Answers will come to us, for sure.
Note: No AI was used to write this post.