I Started Reading Again to Escape from Social Media
I want to share my personal experience of how I started reading again to escape from social media and why I believe it’s one of the most important things you can do for your mental health today.
The Social Media Trap
Social media was born with promise, but it has evolved into a giant time sink. It’s not just about “wasted time”; it’s about the mental toll. For years, I found myself in a loop of stress and anxiety, scrolling through feeds without even knowing why.
If you had asked me back then, I would have guessed I spent maybe an hour a day on my phone. The reality? It was closer to 3 or 4 hours. Every day.
We aren’t just “using” these apps; they are using us. As Johann Hari explains in his book Stolen Focus, these platforms are designed by some of the smartest engineers in the world to hijack our attention for profit. The algorithms are literally engineered to keep us addicted, fragmenting our focus until we can barely finish a single paragraph of a book.
The Impact on My Mind
I felt the harmful effects personally. First, my attention span was shattered. When I tried to sit down with a book, I couldn’t focus for more than 5 minutes before my hand instinctively reached for my phone. My dopamine system was so conditioned for “instant hits” that deep focused work felt physically painful.
My working memory also suffered. I used to be able to hold several tasks in my head at once, but I started forgetting simple things. I had to write everything down because my brain had become lazy, relying on the infinite memory of high-speed internet.
Worse than that was the constant, subtle comparison. Even though I knew social media was a curated highlight reel, I couldn’t help but compare my “behind-the-scenes” with everyone else’s “greatest hits.” It led to a background hum of depression and anxiety that I couldn’t quite shake.
The AI Mirror
We now live in the era of AI—ChatGPT, Nano Banana, and more. While these are powerful tools, I realized I was letting them think on my behalf.
When we stop thinking, our brain loses its edge, just as our muscles atrophy when we stop moving. In a world where AI can generate endless social media content instantly, we really have to ask ourselves: are we consuming human wisdom, or just algorithmic noise?
Escaping the Loop
I tried every trick in the book: deleting apps, setting timers, “Digital Minimalism” as Cal Newport suggests. They worked for a few days, but I always crawled back.
Eventually, I realized the root cause: I couldn’t endure solitude.
In the gaps of my life—waiting for a bus, eating alone, or before sleep—I felt an itch to be “connected.” I had lost the ability to be alone with my thoughts. I recalled my childhood when I actually preferred being solitary, lost in a book or an imagined story.
I decided that the only way to reclaim my mind was to retrain my solitude. And there is no better tool for that than reading.
Starting Again with Library of All
I’ve always planned to read at least 10 books per year but I usually didn’t do it. I’d read 3-5 books per year.
After I quit my job on March 2025, I set out with two main goals: to achieve economic independence as a solopreneur and to read at least 30 books.
At that time, Library of All was just a simple “online library” project I was building bit by bit. My plan was to go all-in on it only after I had stabilized my income from other solopreneur ventures.
But as I spent more time reading and thinking about why it was so hard to stay focused, I realized that I wasn’t just building a library—I was building a recovery tool. The project pivoted from a simple collection of books to what it is today: a space designed to cure social media addiction through classic literature. It became more than just a side hustle; it became the solution to my own struggle.
My goal was to read 30 books last year. I only finished 15. But I’m not disappointed at all. Actually, I’m thrilled. That’s 10-12 more books than I’ve read in 2024.
How You Can Start Too
If you’re feeling the same digital burnout, here is how I shifted my habit:
- Acknowledge the Solitude Itch: Recognize the moment you reach for your phone out of boredom. That’s the moment your brain is trying to escape itself.
- Lower the Bar: Don’t start with War and Peace. Start with 10 minutes of a story you actually enjoy.
- Replace, Don’t Just Delete: Instead of just “not scrolling,” have a book ready (digital or physical).
- Try Online Libraries: If you prefer reading on your device, use a focused tool like our Library which provides a distraction-free environment for classic books.
The progress is visible. Now I can focus for an hour or more without even thinking about my phone. Most importantly, I’ve found that reading isn’t just an “escape”—it’s a way back to myself.
What’s Next?
In my next post, I’ll dive deeper into why you should read classic literature in 2026.
In an era where AI can generate thousands of words in seconds, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of “content.” Why should we spend hours reading words written hundreds of years ago? I’ll share how the density of classic wisdom acts as the ultimate shield against the noise of the modern world, and provide some recommendations to help you get started on your own journey of recovery.