As an avid reader, I have discovered that people interrupt. Some people don't even notice you are into your book or don't bother to care that you are reading. Let's talk about whether a physical book or an ebook gets more interruption and why.
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I did a thing! I have done an experiment for four months. After two months of logging interruptions when reading a physical book, I switched to reading ebooks in public (and logged those interruptions). Here is my data and theories on why we are interrupted and what form of book prompts more interruption. Please note that this experiment was less consistent than I'd hoped (as my work schedule dictated when I was in the breakroom).
Let's define interruption, though. In my case, it was defined as an unnecessary, unasked-for social interaction with unnecessary information. What is unnecessary? I'll show you.
Necessary: the house is on fire, we're talking about my published novel, dinner is ready, time to clock in, the dishwasher is broken, my relative died, my friend's relative died, something broke, a friend I like to talk to is speaking, a pet died, etc....
Unneccessary: The air conditioning feels nice, any small talk that has no relevant information, the weather (unless it is hazardous weather and we need to take shelter now), social media I had no interest in seeing, etc....
The above is an example of my definition of necessary. If that doesn't illuminate things it comes down to one question; is what you said important information I need to know or are you just trying to fill silence? Also relevant, "are you a close friend?"
The few regrets
I have one regret about this experiment, and that is logging it in months and not days. If I had logged it in days I could say for certain that I evenly tested both reading methods, but since I logged in months, I can't be sure. If you do this for yourself please log it in days and make it even on both sides.
The other regret is that it got in the way of my TBR in a major way. I have now picked up three books at a time (ebook, audiobook, and physical book) because of this fact. I don't like doing this for one reason, and one reason only; my reading speed is cut in half when this happens. I want to not have a pile of shame (pile of unfinished books) so I finish them one at a time ideally. Do I mix up plots like others say they do? No, I don't. Many people think that is the reason for this personal rule of mine, but it is not.
If you take this on be prepared to find out how much you like or dislike reading from a screen. I did. I prefer physical books and found out how much I disliked screen reading for a prolonged two months. This is why I decided to take on my TBR pile and the ebook at the same time. I don't like it. I'm not doing this again.
The results
As you can imagine I have come to the conclusion that physical books are interrupted more than ebooks. When reading an ebook from a phone you sometimes get ignored, like you blend in with everyone else. A physical book, though? You get immediate attention. My personal theory is a combination of fear of silence and social norms. We see people on phones all the time and are used to excess noise. For this reason, a quiet break room is uncomfortable and a book is not seen as normal. The reader sticks out and quickly gets seen.
My best advice for reading in public is to be aware of who interrupts you (maybe stay out of their zone until you want to stop), find a corner out of sight to hide in, and wear headphones. It is irrelevant whether there is a device playing sound or whether the device has been dead for ten years. Headphones connected to anything clearly indicate you are busy. If you want to read in public throw on an obvious set of headphones (whether they actually work or not is also irrelevant). For the best reading experience sit on your couch or your coziest chair, make some tea or cocoa (depending on season), and don't read in public spaces that aren't designed for reading. Libraries and coffee shops seem to be the best public places to pull up a book and stay awhile. Most other places are not - especially break rooms with chatty coworkers. Some people just don't understand you are busy traveling through your book world.
Common interruptions
One of the common interruptions I found was a polite greeting and the expectation of acknowledging someone when you see them. This was not asked for and got logged. It is, however, not the worst interruption. In some, it lasts two milliseconds. In others, you start to get a little annoyed because they expect more than a wave or a curt "hi". Maybe they get annoyed at you. I didn't log a wave that wasn't verbal, by the way, because that was barely a social interaction at all. How do we deal with it while reading? Wave, don't verbalize. Or you can verbalize that you are currently wrapped up in your book and would like to quietly enjoy it. Depending on the person it can go many ways, but at least you didn't yell and give them a death glare.
Before we jump into the other type of interruption, let's talk about why the acknowledgment happens at all. We like to be noticed as humans and have been taught by society not to ignore the presence of a person. Studies show people like being noticed. Multiple sources on Google come up with the social etiquette of not ignoring people. We're taught to. It is literally because we are trained to do this. According to an article on Tipsfolder.com, the person entering the space is supposed to greet those in the room. That same article says that if someone is ignored the other person in the space should begin talking. I think that is also not helpful when you are trying to read. Put simply, society trains people to say hello when they see a human. Watch yourself do it if you don't believe me.
Another was the small talk and the need to fill silence. I talked about the fear of silence before. Click here to read my blog on the fear of silence. The small talk that rips you out of your novel because someone expects you to respond and start a conversation is the worst. Read in silence for one more minute and you'll find they might say something else to you. I do not hate people. Let me make that clear. I do, however, like to enjoy my book with little to no interruption. If it becomes clear that someone will not stop chattering at you -despite one word, curt answers, or no response, and no eye contact - just put the book down and make the choice to stay and converse or leave. It highly depends on who is talking to me. Do not use this moment to ream someone and be incredibly rude. Be kind. You can quietly excuse yourself to another area if the option exists.
We need to discuss the repeat offenders here. I know you know what I mean, readers. The ones who decide your eyes trained on an open book is the universal sign to ask twenty or more questions. They almost never figure it out on their own, either. I once had someone repeat their question louder when I ignored it to see what they'd do. I ultimately decided to close the book and surrender. What do you do about this? Headphones. Try headphones. I have no other answer for this and am prepared to shove on a set of headphones in the breakroom from here on out.
Why People Interrupt - the research
Let's dive into the many reasons people think it is okay to interrupt your reading. One of them is literally that they think you can stop at any time. Another is because they are bored, can't read the social cues very well, or just want your full attention. Many people who love to chit-chat project that onto their companions and don't know you don't want that. Some people consider books a sign of boredom. We live in an extrovert-focused world. It is truly best to find quiet, hidden corners if you don't want any interruption. If you want some comedic ways to really lower those interruptions in public places here are some suggestions for you. I'd make sure you won't run into these people again before you actually embark on the more ridiculous ones.
An explanation for the ones who don't understand
If you read this and think "Why is reading a book a focused activity?" or "Big deal, you have a bookmark" this section is for you. The first thing I need you to do is read this article about mentally picturing book images. It talks about how the storyline of a book plays like a movie and we mentally imagine character voices as we read. Would I interrupt you during a movie? No, so why should you interrupt me while I'm watching a movie in my own head. Those who are not avid readers don't seem to understand this concept at all. I know one coworker who has to chatter on and on every time I see them. I know several, but one of them will ignore the book in my hand. I see her and slip the book back into my backpack because I know I'll never get past the page I'm on.
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While we do have bookmarks, you may be interrupting an epic battle or a romantic scene. In the real-life case of me reading Goldfinger, I was interrupted constantly as James Bond was almost cut in half by a saw. It was infuriating. If you have never experienced a good book you'll never understand this fully. I challenge you to pick up a book in any form and see how much your mind forms a mental movie. If you don't know what you like take a movie you like and find the book inspiration for it. That's the best place to start. Start with the movie genres you love and go from there. Librarians are great people and can help you find a great book to begin your reading journey. Talk to one today.
The Overall Conclusions
Many readers have this specific issue while publicly reading. It can't really be avoided by anyone. My best advice is to read in quiet libraries and your own homes when you don't want to be interrupted. At the end of the day you decide where to sit. If you have to hide in a nook go for it.
Another conclusion I've come to is that reading from your phone is probably a great idea when you want to blend in. If you would like to know the ratio of unwanted, unnecessary interruptions here it is. There were 10 interruptions while reading physical books to 2 interruptions reading on my phone. Rule of thumb, though, you will still want to hide in an unnoticed corner when you plan to read a lot in one go in a public place.
Thank you for the people who gave their opinions on interruptions - Daniel Amiot, Janice Vanhorne Lane, and Tyler Barrett.
I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have four five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page.
Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?
Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.
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