Embracing Deep Reading in a Digital Age: Strategies for Intellectual Growth

Discover how to counteract the shallowness of a post-literate society with effective deep reading strategies.

You and I now live in a post-literate society. Most of us consume content primarily through video or audio, both of which are fine, but these mediums are passive. You lean back when consuming content in a passive medium. Our attention often runs away from whatever we are listening to or watching. Because there is an abundance of content you are interested in, it’s easy to watch part of a YouTube video, only to click on another video in the sidebar that stole your attention from the first video.

As we have adopted these passive mediums, the content is shrinking. YouTube has shorts, Instagram has Reels, and TikTok is designed for short, entertaining content. There may be some value in a piece of content that is 20 seconds in duration.

This short content has all the wisdom of a bumper sticker and even less of a chance of executing anything so ephemeral.

If you were to go back in time, the names of the people you learned about in school, you'd find these well-recognized names were incredibly well-read. They were also excellent writers. They drank deeply and studied how best to live their lives, drinking deeply from the knowledge acquired in the past.

Today, one person on LinkedIn suggested no one wants to read a wall of text. Like a lot of others, there is no depth, no real understanding, and no personal or professional development. One who looks at a graphic will have little chance of being able to understand and execute what they glanced at quickly before moving on to the next shiny object that passes in front of their eyes.

Timeless Strategies for Intellectual Growth

Here are several timeless development strategies. These strategies have been practiced for hundreds of years.

Diverse Content and Genres: In the past, an educated person would have read history, science, and philosophy. But they would also have read Shakespeare, Goethe’s Faust, and other works the educated read. You may want to read nonfiction, but you should also explore fiction, as novels increase your empathy. You will also benefit from different writing styles and ideas.
Reading Deeply: Have you ever read a paragraph only to realize you have no idea what you just read? This may mean you are not engaging with the text. You will read deeply if you identify key points in the text, take notes that are meaningful to you, and summarize sections. It’s a good practice to write a summary of each chapter. You may also argue with the author by writing questions and challenging their ideas.
Setting Reading Goals: To push back on the post-literate society and its shallowness, set reading goals. We must be careful here, as you don’t want to be one of those people who believes the number of books read is an accomplishment, and it is, if you read deeply. If you have not taken something away from each of the books you read, you may have missed the value of the book. One book a week might work, but it depends on the size of the books you read.
Join a Book Club or Group: There are all kinds of book clubs and groups that read the same book. If you are a more social butterfly, reading with a group of others of your kind will allow you to talk about the book. You may find that you read more books, including books you might not have read otherwise. You will deepen your understanding by discussing the book with those who read with you. You may want to join my One-Up Book Club, but there are others.
Multiple Mediums: You may read a traditional book in hardcover or softcover. You may also listen to the book on audio or E-books. If you know how you learn best, you might choose the medium that allows you to gain the most from the book. I tend to read a hardcover book first, but I learn best through audio. I read the hardcover and then I listen to the book, sometimes twice, if I really want to learn something.
Reflections: Stephen King writes a book and puts it away for 6 months. You might want to reflect on the book after giving it a little time. You might consider the book against the events of the day, what you learned, and its impact on some perspective. Like the other strategies, this can deepen the impact of your reading.
Executing in Real Life: Some books will have ideas and lessons and insights that you can turn into actions you might take in real life. You might use something you learned in your personal life or your professional life. Oftentimes, one new learning can improve your results at home or in your work life. Self-help books offer actions you can take to produce an important action that will improve your life.
Teach What You Learned: One of the most effective strategies is to teach others what you learned from your reading. You will have an easier time remembering what you read by sharing it with others. If you worry about forgetting what you read, this strategy will reinforce your memory. This will also help you with your communication skills. In the past, there were salons where people gathered to talk about current events, books, art, and other subjects.
Criticism and Debate: Depending on what you are reading and why, you may want to use the strategy of critical analysis or debate. You can question the author’s arguments, compare other views and perspectives, and debate them with others who would be interested in exploring what’s true.