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Why Reading Is So Boring
Have you ever tried to finish reading a book, but couldn’t even make it halfway through because of boredom? It’s possible that the book’s subject matter itself is boring, but in many cases, it is our inability to stay engaged with written material that leads to a loss of interest in reading.
So if reading is considered boring by many people, why did we write an article about it? It’s because, regardless of how you might feel about reading, it is essential for growth and personal advancement.
Overcoming the tediousness of reading can elevate your personal and professional life to greater heights, even in a modern world where social media posts and online videos have become the primary sources of information.
The goal of this article is to help you unlock your full reading potential by understanding the primary causes behind feeling bored with the activity. In short, let’s answer the question, “Why is reading so boring?”
Reading is Boring: 5 Key Reasons Why People Think So
Considering many factors, these are the five (5) main reasons why many dread finishing a book or even going through a few chapters. You are probably already familiar with at least one of these reasons. It is helpful to know your “boredom triggers” so you can take the necessary steps to overcome them:
- Preference for Visual, Auditory or Interactive Elements
- Complex Subjects and Flow Of Language
- Reading Feels Like A Chore
- Short Attention Span and Digital Distractions
- Poor Reading Habits and Environment
Let’s tackle each of these reasons one by one:
Reason #1: Preference for Visual, Auditory or Interactive Elements
A study conducted by Frontiers on Behavioral Neuroscience used electroencephalography (EEG) data to predict a person’s preference for visual or non-visual learning material. The findings suggest that individuals have varying preferences for reading formats.
For example, some readers find visual and interactive elements more engaging than plain text. If you’re one of those people, that explains why you tend to get bored when reading books with no visual elements.
The modern trends of information consumption nowadays have done a great deal to disrupt our learning habits. The advent of social media, short-form video, and AI technology has contributed to shorter attention spans and a decreased preference for pure reading material.
For example, you’re trying to learn how to bake a particular type of cake. You have three main options:
- Pick up a traditional book on how to bake a cake
- Read an illustrated recipe book
- Watch a step-by-step YouTube video on how to bake the cake
In this time and age, options #2 and #3 are more appealing to the majority of people, mainly because of convenience and less time spent in acquiring the information.
If you’re one of many people who get bored with reading large chunks of texts, consider doing the following:
Use Illustrated Books
Nowadays there are more reading formats available to us. It’s no longer just about traditional books with hundreds of pages full of text. You can now get illustrated books with lots of pictures and illustrations. To stimulate your love for reading, it is a good idea to start with illustrated books.
Utilize Audiobooks
Audiobooks are a great option: you can listen to the content you are interested in instead of reading it. You can also use audiobooks to complement your reading. Find books that also have an audiobook version. This way, you can read one chapter at a time, and then listen to the audiobook to make sure you retain the information you have read.
Make Note-Taking and Content Visualization A Habit
Don’t just trust your memory when reading. Have a notebook and pen in hand to jot down important ideas as you read. You may also use a journal where you can make illustrative drawings or diagrams that make sense to you. This will help you turn reading into more of an interactive activity.
Reason #2: Complex Subjects and Flow of Language
Some books use complex words, insider jargon, or a formal flow of language. If you ever felt stuck trying to read a classic novel or non-fiction book like that, it’s not your fault. It just means that there is a mismatch between your current reading vocabulary and the types of books that you are reading.
Here are some ways you can solve this problem:
- Choose books or materials that suit your reading level. At first, you can steer clear of books with complex words and sentences. Prioritize reading books that you feel you understand and enjoy. Then gradually work your way up as you get more comfortable.
- Try to get abridged or simplified versions of classic works. If you are tasked to read “boring” classic works, consider getting simplified versions and summaries of these books just to help you understand them better.
- Use summarization tools. Summarization apps and tools such as ReadPartner can help boost your understanding of any reading material without having to go through a tedious process.
Some books also assume that you already have prior knowledge of the subject matter. This is why despite your best efforts, you feel like an outsider because you don’t have the sufficient background information required to digest the reading material in front of you.
Based on a study by the American Psychological Association, evidence suggests that content knowledge is an important predictor of proficient reading. What does this mean for the rest of us? It means getting prior background knowledge from other media formats (such as video or image-rich materials) can improve your reading.
Once you get a handle on foundational concepts of a subject matter, you can start reading more in-depth guides and literature on the topic.
Reason #3: Reading Feels Like A Chore and Not A Choice
Sometimes reading can be boring because you associate it with school, exams, and book reports that are not too exciting. Thus, feelings of boredom towards reading can be affected by how you viewed reading in the past.
In many cases, it is difficult to overcome any deeply ingrained assumptions unless you make a conscious effort to create a more pleasant experience.
It can also be soul-sucking when you are pressured to read “intellectual” books to get smarter (like what happens in school). However, you don’t have to dwell on those past experiences. Instead, you can create better learning experiences by choosing books that you genuinely enjoy.
Here are some ways you can do that:
- Find out what real-life topics you are interested in (history, basketball, chess, etc)
- Seek out books on those topics.
- Make a list of movies based on books that you thoroughly enjoyed.
- Once you finish watching the movies, get a copy of the book version to find out which parts of the story are in the book but not in the movie.
As you can see, this approach works because it’s a far cry from the school environment where there is more pressure to read. The better approach to reading is to view it as an enjoyable and rewarding activity instead of a stressful and boring one.
Reason #4: Digital Interruptions and Short Attention Spans
Social media content and short-form video content disrupted the information consumption habits of people in the Digital Age. Because there is plenty of information available all around us at any given moment, it can be hard to stay engaged with books.
Attention spans are also much shorter. According to reputable studies from 2024, the average attention span of an adult internet user is 8.25 seconds, which is slightly lower than the attention span of a goldfish at 9 seconds.
If you’re suffering from decreased reading attention spans due to digital distractions and information overload, it’s helpful to follow these tips:
- Set focused sessions for reading. You can set 15-30 minute blocks of time that you can allot towards distraction-free reading.
- Turn off social media during focus sessions. During this time, you can turn off your social media notifications so your mind can absorb what you read better.
- Do your reading session in a relaxing space. Perform your reading in a quiet spot in your home or office, by the window, or in a visually appealing atmosphere such as by the beach or roof deck.
- Associate reading with pleasure. An example of this would be to take a nice cup of coffee with you if you can during your focus session. This way, you can start associating reading with relaxation and pleasure instead of boredom.
Reason #5: Poor Reading Habits and Environment
As much as possible, perform your reading activities in the right environment and setting. If you try to read in a noisy environment, you can easily get bored with your book because of many competing stimuli. Find a comfortable, quiet place with good lighting and read there.
Another example of a poor habit and environment is trying to read later at night when you’re already tired. You have to understand that the mind and body don’t work in a linear fashion. Our bodies and brains are not wired to perform consistently throughout the day. Instead, there are peak periods throughout the day, and dips in energy and focus in between.
A good approach is to find out which times of the day you’re particularly alert and read during this time. For most people, the most alert times are during the daytime. A study on reading comprehension for elementary students showed that the natural Circadian Rhythm of the body can greatly impact learning outcomes.
In short, reading during your peak hours of alertness can improve your comprehension and retention.
Why Is Reading So Boring: A Summary Of The Reasons
Here is a quick table that shows the five main causes why reading is boring and effective steps on how to address them:
The next time you feel bored with a book or any other written material, go back to this table and implement the suggestions to improve your reading alertness, enjoyment, and comprehension.
Frequently Asked Questions On Why Are Books So Boring
Is it normal to not like reading?
Yes, it is. Being bored with reading depends on many different factors, such as the book's subject matter, your past reading experience, and external factors. Each person reacts to reading material in their own way.
Why do I start reading and then lose interest?
It’s usually because of the subject matter. Personal preference plays a huge role when it comes to reading. If you’re not interested in the topic or story, it’s hard to stay interested enough to finish the book.
If I’m bored with reading, is it just a mental thing?
It’s both mental and physical. Your brain and your eyes do a lot of work when you read. After several minutes of reading, it is possible to get eye muscle strain especially if the page font is too small or your lighting is poor. Mentally, you can get exhausted after reading for a while.
How can I learn to enjoy reading again?
Figure out why you lost interest in the first place. Life events such as a new job, starting a family, or going through a tough period, can all affect your time and interest in reading activities. Take small steps to rekindle your love for reading by reintroducing shorter but more consistent reading sessions.
Overcome Reading Boredom With ReadPartner AI
Learning to love reading can take a lot of time, but what if you have to do a lot of reading today? You can speed the process up with ReadPartner AI, the ultimate AI summarization tool that has already helped many readers worldwide.
ReadPartner AI acts as your personal assistant that helps you summarize websites, texts, videos, articles, documents, and more. Perfect for individuals and organizations who want to take their reading to the next level and absorb more crucial information without the hassle and headache. Also available as a Chrome Extension.
The Bottomline
We’ve outlined five main reasons why reading can be so boring and tedious. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these underlying causes. You can try reading illustrated books, choose topics you thoroughly enjoy, start with books with a lower difficulty level, set focused reading sessions, and improve your reading environment.
Being bored with reading doesn’t mean that you are lazy. To boost comprehension, you can use the proven focus strategies we outlined to adopt good reading habits. Moreover, you can use powerful summarization tools such as ReadPartner to process and absorb written information faster.
