4 Reasons to get on Reading Apps
Why you should subscribe to apps such as Blinkist and Headway!
I am a reader. I have been one since I was 9 and there were two things I was absolutely, vehemently against- A Kindle and reading apps like blinkist and headway!
Why, you may ask.
For the former, my biggest argument remains, that reading is an experience that is not just made up by words on a page, but also the tangible and the space around you. Being able to flip a page, smell the ink on the paper, folding a page (YES- my books have folded pages. Sue me!) and then completing the book and putting it in the bookshelf. Sadly, an e-book reader such as kindle can never give you this experience.
For the latter, I thought Reading Apps are for people who are lazy. Who couldn’t spend few hours devouring a book and would rather have snippets delivered to them!
I couldn’t have been more wrong about both of these.
I have made my peace with reading on Kindle because of the lockdown and the pandemic. The convenience of getting a book in seconds on your screen won over the need of having the full-blown reading experience. But let the record show, I still prefer hard-bound thick books to the slim kindle.
As for apps such as Blinkist and Headway, I have used both of them. I even have a paid subscription for Blinkist and this is why I use them and why I would recommend it to anyone:
- Read Fast: I have a diverse reading range. Fiction is where my heart lies, but with time, I have started reading more and more non-fiction to help me understand the world, widen my perspectives and even pick up some tips and tricks that I can use in my life and work. This means my reading list has grown longer and longer and longer. And I need a faster way to understand the ideas explained in the book. This is where these apps come in to the picture!
- Learn fast: Fiction is more immersive than non-fiction. This is my personal take, while I have read non-fiction written by authors with an equally compelling voice as fiction authors, but there is no denying that fiction can’t be broken down into snippets but non-fiction can. And we need to leverage this quality of non-fiction. We can continue to learn about new ideas in shorter more succinct way.
- Smart Investment: It helps you sample before you invest. I have read like more than 8 blinkists in less than 4 days of subscribing to it and I have realised there were some books I wouldn’t have wanted to invest in and there are some I would like to read in much more detail. It’s like a movie trailer with the important pointers, that helps you decide whether you should invest your time and money in reading the complete book or not.
- Cut down Social Media: It has helped me bring down the amount of time I spend on Social Media. When I pick up my phone, rather than going to Instagram, I now read on these Apps or read blogs on Medium. And it’s frankly a great advantage!
In a world full of distractions, such apps can help you read more, learn more, help you make a smart decision about your time and money, and help you cut down social media. All of them are noble reasons to get these apps on your devices.
