Reading time: About 3 minutes
Smart phones can be convenient and entertaining. But did you know that your phone is stealing your words?
I grew up in a time when my four siblings and I had to take turns using the household phone to talk to our friends. Picture this: an actual cord attached to the wall, rotary dial, the whole prehistoric setup.
And we also had to go to the library or use an encyclopedia to look stuff up. You know, those massive books that weighed more than a small child and were somehow always missing the pages you needed.
I know. That’s unbelievable today, when we all have cellphones — computers, really — in our pockets. Devices more powerful than what NASA used to land a spacecraft on the moon, and we use them to watch cats play piano.
Nowadays, the rule in my household is that no one can use a phone at the dinner table. The challenge never relates to talking on the phone, of course. We all know we can do that later. The real temptation is looking stuff up.
- What was the name of the movie that won best picture in 2018?
- Who was the Prime Minister/President of the country in 1953?
- What’s the name of the gadget you use to extract juice from a lemon?
- What does the word apricity mean? (The warmth of the winter sun — now you can sleep tonight.)
Somehow these questions all feel pressing when we each have a phone within reach, and we know it can give us an answer in fewer than 30 seconds. It’s like having a know-it-all friend who never gets tired of showing off.
I try to enforce our rule of not using phones at the table — especially during family dinners when we’re celebrating a birthday or a public holiday. The worst offender? My brother-in-law. (Also a Boomer.) He looks at me guiltily and says, “I know I’m not supposed to do this, but it’ll just take a second.” Famous last words. Thirty minutes later, he’s deep in a Wikipedia rabbit hole about civic politics.
But the bigger problem is for young people who are spending an average of five hours on social media every day. That’s longer than many people sleep, which explains a lot about the state of the world. I know my own children spend a fair whack of time on their phones. Heck, I spend a good whack of time on mine, myself. And I can see how it has curtailed my reading habits.
But a recent Substack post by a precocious Michigan-based high school student, Ari Shtein, really drove home the point. He presents persuasive evidence of the damage caused by cellphones.
His central question? Why do so many Ivy League students — who have scored sky-high grades on their SATs (university admission exams) — enter school unable to read a book, unable to write and unable to do math? Basically, how do you ace standardized tests but can’t handle a 200-page novel?
His answer: these kids lack the sustained attention spans these skills require.
Why? Because they’re spending too much time on their phones.
So-called smart phones lead to dramatically reduced attention spans. They also appear to impair memory. Ironic, isn’t it? Devices designed to store infinite information are making us forget everything.
In short, many students have developed a habit of reading (or watching video) for two to three minutes and then switching to watching or reading something else. Their brains are now trained for constant stimulation — like intellectual popcorn instead of a proper meal.
And this isn’t just a problem for young people. I am several generations older than these kids, and I have felt the same pull. I still read 52 books a year, but it’s becoming increasingly harder for me, and I think this is a result of my phone use. Specifically, my reading of the New York Times on my phone.
Yes, I’m about to throw America’s newspaper of record under the bus. I have had a Times subscription on my phone for about six years, and I read it while eating breakfast every morning. That habit is probably defensible.
But I also often read it at lunch. Whenever I’m bored. When I’m standing in line somewhere. When I’m on public transit. It’s become a habit — one that often makes me feel stressed and uneasy.
In previous times, I would have read a book. Remember books? Those rectangular things made of paper that don’t need charging?
The cost of this shift goes beyond personal preference — it affects our ability to write well. Deep reading develops the sustained attention, complex thinking and rich vocabulary that strong writing requires. It’s like going to the gym for your brain, except less sweaty and with better characters.
When we fragment our attention with constant phone use, we’re rewiring our brains away from the focused, contemplative state that good writing demands. We’re training ourselves to think in headlines instead of chapters.
Writing this post has made me commit to a change. Moving forward, the only time I’ll read the Times is at breakfast. The rest of the day? Books. Real books. With pages that turn and everything.
(I don’t use Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, so I’m spared the lure of those platforms. Thank goodness, because apparently my willpower is already hanging by a thread.)
So, here is my challenge to you: Will you examine your phone use and figure out a way to curtail it (NOT eliminate it) so you can spend more time reading books? I’m not suggesting you go full Luddite and move to a cabin — just put your phone down once in a while.
It will make you a better writer and a happier person, too.
If you liked this post, you’ll also like Are you too distracted to write?
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Need some help developing a better, more sustainable writing or editing routine? Learn about my three-month accountability program called Get It Done. There is turn-over each month, and priority will go to those who have applied first. You can go directly to the application form and you’ll hear back from me within 24 hours.
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My video podcast last week addressed the perfect time to write a novel. You can watch the video or read the transcript, and you can also subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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How do you deal with the reality that your phone is stealing your words? We can all learn from each other, so please, share your thoughts with my readers and me in the comments section below. If you comment on today’s post (or any others) by June 30/25, I’ll put you in a draw for a digital copy of my first book, 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better. To enter, please scroll down to the comments, directly underneath the related posts links, below. You don’t have to join Disqus to post! Read my tutorial to learn how to post as a guest. (It’s easy!)
