One Day A Year, Just To Reconnect With Your Story

Six minutes every time a book is opened, for an estimated average time of about 22 hours per year, just to reread and recall plot elements between one reading session and the next. This is the figure that emerged from a research conducted by Amazon on the reading habits of Italians. The first notable data point is very positive: from the sample examined, almost everyone reads at least once a week, and more than half do so daily. Not only that, there's also one more positive note: the survey disproves the common misconception that young people no longer read. On the contrary, a large portion of fiction lovers fall into the so-called Generation Z, the first to be considered digital natives, having grown up in symbiosis with the internet, smartphones, and social media. This high-tech generation has not abandoned the pleasure of reading at all; if anything, they prefer to consume it not only through physical books but also by using devices that are more friendly and constantly in use for them, such as smartphones, tablets, and e-readers, thus showing a more marked preference for digital reading over traditional. This is hardly a problem, as long as the interest in literature continues to be cultivated. To paraphrase a famous quote by Oscar Wilde, "paper or digital, as long as one reads".

Reading in Peace? A Pipe Dream

The real problem, therefore, is not whether one reads or not, or if segments of readers read more or less than a few decades ago. The real problem is continuity in reading, as we have repeatedly highlighted here on the blog, so much so that it is one of the main reasons why the Fabulè app was designed. Indeed, from the study conducted by the Italian branch of the Seattle giant, about two-thirds of readers experience continuous distractions and interruptions, causing the inevitable fragmentation of the experience. This leads to unavoidable moments dedicated to rereading pages and passages of the text, which, when added up, lead to the numerical data indicated at the beginning.

Rereading: A Source of Stress and Wasted Time

Due to these rereading moments, one in five readers reports a significant increase in the time needed to complete the text, and even one in four people abandon a book because the cognitive effort outweighs the pleasure. Furthermore, if one considers that half of the analyzed sample of readers avoids reading when tired, preferring to set aside dedicated moments to concentrate better, abandoning a book becomes a significant source of frustration. This discomfort is particularly felt among younger generations, especially Young Adults, who are most affected by discouragement when distractions make immersive reading sessions impossible.

No to Reading Marathons, Better Short and Frequent

Unable to manage long reading intervals, increasingly shorter sessions are planned, especially by new generations of readers who – as we just mentioned – also happen to be the most frustrated when they fail to maintain continuity between reading, distractions, and daily commitments. This analysis provides further confirmation of the validity and usefulness of Fabulè, which finds its raison d'être precisely in the fight against discontinuity and fragmentation.

With Fabulè, No More Dead Time, Mental Fatigue, and Stress

As a practical and always available tool, Fabulè drastically helps reduce not only the time needed to pick up the plot thread but also the cognitive cost required for re-immersion in the text, providing immediate answers and targeted recaps. Thanks to Fabulè's constant support, the reader can dispel the mental fog caused by continuous interruptions, allowing them to refocus on the continuation – and pleasure – of the narration.