Are you starting to pack your suitcases for your well-deserved August holiday? Remember to leave a bit of space for a couple of books to take with you and read during your time off.
“But I never read. I don't like it. I can't concentrate. Let alone manage to read a couple of books on holiday, which is meant for having fun, resting, spending time with family and friends, doing sports, exploring new places…” These are all responses we expect in a country like Italy, where 60% of people don't read a single book over the course of a year, 40% read at least one, and a narrow margin of just 10% makes up the so-called “frequent readers” who read more than 12 books in twelve months.
And yet, your holiday days could be the best opportunity to give it a go and digital detox—at least a little—from a screen addiction that is affecting every age group and, above all, making us risk losing control of our brains. A brain that is “ancient” and poorly adapted to resist this hyper-stimulated world bombarded by smartphones, group chats, social media, and endless notifications, becoming an increasingly fertile ground for distraction and anxiety.
So much so that a network of publishers, teachers, trainers, communications experts, doctors, and neuroscientists has decided to launch a national social campaign against cognitive decline: Fai sport, leggi un libro – l’esercizio quotidiano per allenare il tuo cervello (Do sport, read a book – the daily exercise to train your brain). Because, in the face of technology's ubiquity, there is a real risk that our brains are being compromised and our intelligence levels eroded, with all the social costs that entails.
Indeed, the campaign's organisers argue that constant exposure to notifications, social media, and online information fragments our attention span, making it difficult to focus on complex tasks. Excessive social media consumption leads to mental fatigue, causing concentration issues, stress, and social disconnection. Furthermore, we have now outsourced our memory: we can draw any piece of information easily and quickly from the web, and consequently, we no longer need to memorise facts and figures—weakening our long-term memory.
The habit of consuming only short, fragmented pieces of information (social posts, short videos, memes, reels, online news headlines) hinders the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, leaving room only for superficial thought.
Fortunately, our brain is remarkably adaptable. It has adapted to new technologies, and it can be re-trained for slow, deep thinking—for human cognition. In short: just as we go running, hit the gym, or play padel to keep our bodies fit, it is also possible to train the brain. By reading.
The challenge launched by the Fai sport, leggi un libro campaign is tailored to the high number of non-readers—people unaccustomed to reading, stopping, slowing down, and focusing. It is called Obiettivo Quota 15 (Target 15): a quarter of an hour of reading a day, which is the minimum threshold to protect our cognitive functions, from memory and vocabulary to concentration.
Whichever book you choose to read, remember that it is a gift you are giving yourself. There is no better time to start than during your holiday.
Have a great August and happy reading!
