I feel the opposite way, at least from the point of view of absorbing information. I often have a hard time with podcasts and often youtube videos because I feel I could have read the info there in a few minutes vs watching/listening to something for much longer
Not only that, but reading lets you easily jump around to refresh yourself on other parts if you see something reference it much more easily, and you can choose your exact comfortable pace without having to stretch or squeeze the source material unnaturally.
I have a recurring habit of glossing over names I don't recognize when first reading them in a news article and then will frequently need to jump back to find where they were initially referenced when they get mentioned again only with their last name. While this can be a little annoying when reading, it would be far worse in a video; I can't imagine trying to scrub back to the point where someone first was mentioned. At best, the video might have captions (which I'll always have turned on), but it's a lot harder to look at a caption and remember exactly which information came before it and which came after because the text isn't all visible at once.
We live in an attention economy but the content that demands our attention is increasingly low value. Often the vast majority of podcast content and YouTube video content could be simplified to maybe 10% of what is there. I have unfortunately seen this in some of the nonfiction books I read as well, which tend to spend way too much time on filler and fluff than actually advancing the main points. This wastes my time and irritates me. (Stuart Russell’s most recent book is majority garbage.)
I agree but think that's different. That's probably a 10min-read kind of article versus a couple-hour-long book. I agree with the parent comment that reading is just slower. All of the blabbering people do in podcasts and in youtube videos to draw out the length feels like it ends up in books too but it's harder to skip because you don't really know when the important stuff happens. I just turn youtube videos and podcasts up to 2x speed then I don't really have to worry about it.
If you crank the speed up 2x you’ll also be speeding through the important parts. I feel like all of this drive towards AI “summarization” is really framing the problem incorrectly. I want all of the filler removed, and just keep the necessary bits.
On the other hand, reading a tutorial on how to do something is faster than watching a video of someone doing it.
It's a lot easier to skip over the bits you already know in written form, with video you need to seek forward, listen a bit, seek forward, listen, whoops too far, seek back a bit etc.
Seriously. This is why I don't like how much knowledge is being locked up in video platforms. I can get what I need to know from text so much faster than video unless the knowledge in question is inherently 3d/visual.
video has the advantage that it still works when i am tired/exhausted, or rather when i want to prevent getting tired, because reading is active and takes more concentration. video makes it easier to focus because it is more passive but all your senses are activated at once.
if i am in a deep flow, the reading to solve a problem is the right approach. but when i have to fight distraction, a video helps me to focus and eventually get into the flow.
Agreed about being faster than a lot of other media - at least in terms of density. Also, the tired eyes thing can be a bonus too. For years I had trouble falling asleep at night and I'd stay up later because I didn't like going to bed until I knew I would conk out immediately.
Now I get in bed and read about a half hour or hour before I want to be asleep. It gives me something to focus on while relaxing and when my eyes get too tired or my mind starts to wander, I know it's time to sleep.
I think the bigger difference is that reading a book allows you to stop, anytime, and think. No other medium allows this. When the story takes an unexpected turn or the author makes a subtle point, in a book you have time to reflect and let it sink in. That's precious, especially in a world where all other media has evolved to overwhelm you with oversimplified pap intended to prevent independent thought. Don't think, just react. But with a book, _you_ control where your focus goes, and nobody else.
This. I find myself tremendously bored watching most videos online these days, scrubbing through to find things that are of interest. There's just so much filler and even when it's not, the information density is very low.
In the meantime, along with reading, I also have longreads in my RSS reader, so every evening I get a few fantastic long form online articles and feel pretty well connected to what's going on.
I disagree with "much slower" but I do agree that it's different. It's not about having tired eyes (what do you use to watch videos?), it's about shortening attention span (you get bored and want to switch to something else). Long attention span is good, short attention span is bad. This is why reading books (long form) is better than reading Twitter or Instagram (short form). And this is why getting kids to continue to read is important.
> you can also only read for so long before your eyes get tired
I'd say you need some eye correction then. Ever since I got glasses, getting tired by reading means it's time for a visit to the optometrist to update my lenses.
I think social media, TikTok style short videos etc. are training young people to have very short attention spans. If it doesn't continually provide a Döpamine hit they quit.
I'm not sure if some people think that audiobooks "don't count", but I think they're the only alternative when you have a heavy schedule and a long commute. Plus you can adjust the speed of the playback as needed. So slowness shouldn't be a problem to put on in the car if your kids are ready to read chapter books.
> I think the big problem with reading is that it's much slower compared to other media.
Speed is subjective. I read way faster than consuming the same thing with audio or video. Reading also gives me opportunity to wander at a pace I'm comfortable with.
You can skim through text - a skill many kids today don't have. They really think you need to READ every word.
Just skimming through a long-ass tutorial finding the bit you need seems like a superpower nowadays with the younger generation resorting to watching a 45 minute video instead.
You really think that a 40 minute rambling video on how to set up, say, Docker and a piece of software on it is slower than the exact same content written with images?
Add in the fact that you can also only read for so long before your eyes get tired and then people just naturally veer away from it.