Why Reading Feels So Hard Now

Galaxy Brain

Do you wish you could read more books? You’re not alone. These days, fewer people are reading for pleasure, and even those who do tend to struggle with distractions. Is this a literacy crisis, or has our attention just been warped? And what can we do?


In this episode of “Galaxy Brain,” John Paul Brammer joins Charlie Warzel to talk about how he managed to ditch the allure of his screens and social media and rewild his attention. This is a conversation about how to reignite your curiosity, what deep reading does to your mind, and how anyone can learn to love to read again.


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This episode of “Galaxy Brain” was produced by Renee Klahr and engineered by Miguel Carrascal. Our theme is by Rob Smierciak. Hadley Robinson is our senior supervising producer. Claudine Ebeid is the executive producer of Atlantic audio, and Andrea Valdez is our managing editor.

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The podcast:

A podcast from The Atlantic that explores how the internet shapes politics, culture, and everyday life, hosted by journalist Charlie Warzel. The show uses in-depth conversations to unpack online trends, conspiracy theories, algorithms, and digital habits, helping listeners make sense of an overwhelming stream of information and reconnect it to the real world, however strange it may seem.

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