For this report, I reflected regularly on my reading practices for about a week. I forced myself to open my mind to what “everyday reading” is; so rather than just the book I read in the evening, I tried to consider every text I come into contact with throughout the day. I soon realized that whether it is on my phone, around my house, while I am in classes, or when running errands, reading is all around me—integrated into seemingly every facet of my life. Opening my eyes to a broader definition of everyday reading helped increase my awareness of the world around me, and the reading practices that connect me to that world.
Part of becoming more aware of my everyday reading practices was discovering when and where I actually read. I noticed that a lot of my reading happens in the in-between times of my day. Whether I am waiting for the bus or a train or a class to start, or standing in line at a grocery store, I will often take out my phone or grab a magazine, glancing through the material for something that catches my eye. Previously, I would have said that my reading only happens in the hour before my light goes out each night as I wind down the day with various books. This final hour of the day allows for an increased self-awareness as I interact with a text in a more personal way than scanning for something that catches my eye with a well-shot picture or a catchy headline. This reading is relaxing and allows me to disconnect from distractions of the world around me and really dig into the text that I am reading. Now I can see that reading is more than just that one hour of my day.
Since much of my reading happens in the in-between times of the day, the location changes constantly. Generally, I’m standing and waiting, filling time with a quick glance at whatever I can get my hands on. This reading is not relaxing. Reading to fill time is precisely that: filling time. In today’s world, we are often connected digitally, but seemingly disconnected to the physical world that surrounds us. This in-between reading fits that statement, as I connect digitally while disconnecting from what is around me to ignore awkward silences or the chance of an unwanted conversation. In this way, even this reading is useful, however forced or awkward at times. I found that, if I was reading a digital text in these short times, I was probably also disconnecting from my surroundings, or at least attempting to do so, for any number of reasons. However, if it was a physical text, like a newspaper or checking out flyers, I had a deeper awareness and appreciation for what was around me. I am not sure I can adequately explain the reason for this discrepancy. I am thinking that perhaps it has something to do with the tactility of the medium, but it may also just be the way I perceive each form of reading, attaching related social functions.
Place clearly impacts what I read. If I am reading a text of philosophy or anything I consider hard-to-grasp or requiring reflection, I need to be in a quiet place with minimal distractions. However, if I am reading a novel or a lighter text, I enjoy reading those in public places, like coffee shops, airports, libraries, or even busier areas of my house. Although a mentally lighter text allows for a more public space, the kind of text I would actually bring in public differs, to some degree on the space itself. We all unintentionally judge people around us based on what they are reading. I know that I am not an exception. If I am reading in public, it probably is a lighter text, but still a socially acceptable or even encouraged read. In this sense, my choice of public text is something of a reflection of who I think I am or how I want others to see me. Our culture, unfortunately, encourages us to keep in mind what others think of us and that definitely impacts the kinds of texts I would bring in public.
In summary, upon analysis of my own reading practices, I discovered that I had a very narrow definition of everyday reading. Once I allowed myself to open my eyes to the reading that surrounds me throughout every day, I saw that reading is an even more important part of my life than I first realized; more specifically, I seem to use it either to immerse myself in the world around me or to disconnect from it. The choice depends on a number of factors, including medium, time, location, etc. I also developed an appreciation of my end-of-the-day reading as a time of self-reflection, contrasting quite sharply with other forms of reading that fill my in-between times. So, my definition of reading has changed, in part due to self-awareness of the scope of what counts as reading but also as a reflection of the various ways I use texts.
