Why reading actual books is still relevent nowadays.
(I include audiobooks, but NOT the abridged ones)
Short/Reels and memes are hypercondenced content. They are more of the entertaining than teaching realm. I surely learnt plenty tricks and tips on social media but what is missing is the context and how to get this specific conclusion. The why and how. The deptness behind. We also need the sources.
When I post something I often need more than the 300 characters on my bluesky thingy to express my ideas. There is an introduction, a reasoning, developement and a conclusion. To make people understand fully my POV. I hold their hands through a thought procress.
Some people can't retain information after reading a whole paragraph. It need to be break down in smaller bits. Literacy level, media literacy and internet literacy is something that need active practice. To be able to summarize a post, a couple pages document, a whole 2h conference require skills.
Using AI do to it for you will make you less able to understand complex idea. You have to train your brain at not being lazy over pre-digested content. Exposing yourself to different authors and style. (in my case, in both French and English)
Precise vocabulary matter. Learning stuff out our comfort zone matters. It help understand the big picture and scales of things.
Even if it's fictionnal books, even if it's fanfictions. You will learn about new POV, learn new words, challenge your understanding of the world. You get more empathy.
Reading a book or an essay, is to enter in the someone's head. You'll see so much more than ''finale product''. The process matter as much as the conclusion. It goes farther than just consuming information.
It changes you. It makes you grow. -Fi-Core / Nocturius