Monday 15 February 2016

Hyper Speed Reading - Why And Why Not

By John Clark


There aren't many people in the world who would decline if offered the opportunity to increase the speed with which they read long chunks of text. With the skill of hyper speed reading, it's easier to obtain and process all the information available in books and on the web. Some people are born with it, but now it can also be learned.

Whatever the reason, looking at long articles will fill one with a sense of dread at the task to be accomplished. Given that, it always seems like a good idea to let the eyes wander quickly over what looks like important information (bolded, italicized, or underlined text, maybe) and to focus on that. But while this is a definite time-saver, it doesn't necessarily guarantee 100% comprehension of the main point.

Unlike applications that simply allow readers to access the text on their gadgets, speed reading apps change the user interface entirely. Instead of being able to see the whole text, the words are flashed continuously, one at a time. This minimizes the movement (and distraction) of the eyes from skimming or scanning the page, which actually affects the comprehension process.

When our eyes have less distractions, they are allowed to focus on the one word that's in front of them. These apps strategically place the words where optimum legibility is achievable and the focal point of the word (slightly to the left of the middle) is highlighted. This draws the eyes to focus on that point but still be able to read the entire word, thus speeding up the process.

This is just one of the benefits of increasing reading speed, particularly for individuals who lead a double-life of pursuing studies and working simultaneously. Dealing with one or the other is stressful enough, but having to do both is close to impossible. With faster reading and comprehension skills, it's much easier to get through the daily grind of school and work.

An additional benefit of this is that as a side effect, the muscles in the eyes are strengthened with constant training. This may sound like a negligible and unimportant benefit, but it's actually very useful. It's not unheard of for some people who work or study for lengthy periods to experience pain from straining their eyes too hard or too long. Over time, the muscles will strengthen and the pain will reduce.

However, some avid readers may argue with the benefits of developing reading speed. As mentioned earlier, it will take a lot of time and practice to develop the eye muscles enough to really have the skill. It also won't be easy because weariness is highly likely during the process.

Having only one word flash before the eyes may speed up reading pace, but comprehension may be affected as a result. Everyone is different; some may need to rely on surrounding context clues to fully understand the text. And what happens if the reader blinks and misses a word? More time is wasted trying to figure it out, and that could have a domino effect.

So, speed reading really depends on the reader and the need of it. For those who are crunched for time, it's a viable option. On the other hand, those who prefer to let the imagination take over once in a while, it doesn't matter how fast or slow they read.




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