Rec League

Anne Helen Petersen

They Don't Want You to Read

They Don't Want You to Read

An essay by Anne Helen Petersen exploring the value of friction and focus in the reading experience.

1 person recommends this

Recommended by

  • Kate George
    Kate GeorgeFirst to rec

    “Fav section: “And that’s the big thing. Friction. Reading is technology that’s full of friction. Settling into somebody else’s words is magic—their voice…inside your head! But it takes focus and, even more importantly, it takes time. Reading, for many, requires quiet or at least concentration. You can’t read while walking the dog or doing the dishes or in the car. Text doesn’t autoplay when you log into a news site and when you finish a story, most sites don’t throw another one at you like YouTube does. This will sound precious as somebody who writes for a living, but it’s not exactly a fair fight. What makes reading so vital, so fulfilling, is friction. And the internet is trying to eliminate friction in every way possible.””

    2

Related

Culture Study

Culture Study

1058
How Social Media Makes Our Lives Smaller

How Social Media Makes Our Lives Smaller

The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World

The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World

63
Before the Internet

Before the Internet

333
Construction Physics

Construction Physics

16
Dense Discovery

Dense Discovery

1488
Maybe Baby

Maybe Baby

81
I'm Begging You, Never Write With AI

I'm Begging You, Never Write With AI

2
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

24611
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

92
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso: Terry Gross

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso: Terry Gross

123
3-2-1 Thursday

3-2-1 Thursday

2
ExploreJournalQ&ASitemapAboutDevelopersTermsPrivacySupportReport content

© 2026 Lyric Technologies, Inc.