Phones or Reading?

There seems to be this unspoken rule that if you’re a reader, you're not on your phone too much—and if you spend a lot of time on your phone, you must not be a huge reader. 

But from my perspective, using your phone and reading books aren’t opposites. They’re just different ways of engaging with stories. It is entirely possible to enjoy both!

Yes, phones can be distracting. I’ve fallen into an endless scroll before, everyone has. But that doesn’t mean our phones are mindless or a waste of time.

A lot of us use our phones to read articles, follow writers, or to explore communities like BookTok or Reddit (or “fanfiction,” that’s a story for another day). Sometimes, we even access full-length novels through apps. I’ve discovered new authors because of a blog, or learned about historical events from a YouTube video that led me to check out a book on the same topic.

That said, reading a physical book is still good. You’re deep in a story or idea, often in a slower way. The lack of a screen is also a huge difference, it's easier on the eyes most of the time. 

Books also build a different kind of patience. They make you sit with characters, with complex narratives, and sometimes even with discomfort or ambiguity. We all need that, whether we like it or not. It’s the exact same as reading something on your phone,but it’s worth preserving.

However, the problem isn’t that phones exist, or that people still read books. The problem is that we’re often told we have to choose one or the other to be “the right kind of reader.”

But in reality, balance is key. I can read a novel on the weekend and scroll through social media. I can listen to an audiobook, then unwind at night with my favorite copy of “Wuthering Heights.” One doesn’t cancel out the other.

We’re living in a time where information, creativity, and storytelling are both physical and digital. To say that one is “better” than the other is to ignore how much they can work together to guide the new age of literacy!

So no, you don’t have to give up your phone to be a real reader. And you don’t have to stop reading books just because you also enjoy being online. What matters most is what you’re getting out of the experience. How the experience challenges you, entertains you, and helps you grow. If you can find a balance that works for you, then you’re definitely doing it right.