How to read deeply instead of scrolling

Week 1 of Critical Thinking in the Age of AI

The key to curing a phone/social media addiction is finding something more pleasurable than what you’re reading when doom scrolling. For you, that could be fiction, nonfiction, manga, a new recipe, etc. The point is to find small snippets throughout the day to fill with reading instead of scrolling!

This is why Week 1 of Critical Thinking in the Age of AI is about finding and reading 3 long-form articles.

Where do I find long reads?

Here are some websites I love to frequent when I’m looking for a long read:

Aeon : Essays on Philosophy, Science, History

Longreads.com: Aggregates the best fiction and journalism long reads from across the Internet

Longform.org: It’s no longer publishing, but back in the day, this website also aggregated long reads across the internet. I’ve linked to their archive!

London Review of Books and LA Review of Books: I find their nonfiction essays quite intriguing and thought-provoking.

During busy seasons of my life, when reading a full-length book was not possible, these websites provided little pockets of joy and intrigue!

As my professors used to say in college, the syllabus is a living document 📃!

[Access the syllabus here]

It’s in Word document format, so I can update it if needed, but feel free to print it out, as I know many of you have already done so!

I break down the syllabus in this video:

This fall, you have the opportunity to design your own Renaissance-style education. long essays, short fiction, book reviews, etc., are an opportunity to expand your tastes. Try something new. Read an opposing point of view. If you normally read fiction, try a nonfiction read and vice versa.

Go at your own pace. Your week 1 is whenever you want it to be. Space it out, take your time, just know

Comment below your favorite long reads and newsletters, so our community can see them!

New Seasons, New Rhythms

Fall is quickly approaching! With only 4 months left in the year, you may feel like it’s time to “lock in.” You may want to try out new routines or feel like you have to hustle harder to see results.

I'd like to offer you an alternative perspective or rhythm to consider. Technology has warped our perception of time, making it seem like we’re running out of time or don’t have enough of it.

But what if every person has their own unique Human Standard Time (HST), a timezone, a pace, a rhythm of life that is unique to their goals, purpose, and aspirations in life?

I explore this idea in my latest video essay below:

Analog living doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. It’s about carving out time for intentional, deep thinking to take stock of what is forming us and molding us into the people we are today.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

With care,

Shae