Sometimes when reading books or short stories on this forum, I actually experience pain in my solar plexus as a sort of symptom. I don't know if anyone else knows what I'm talking about or has the same experience from reading too much, but that's when I know when to stop. Or do you have any other symptoms that you individually experience from reading too much?
There's no such thing as reading too much, unless in so doing, you are stopping yourself from writing.
Taking the admission at face value, I agree wholeheartedly with @Naomasa298. The symptom you describe is not a "girl, same" moment.
There is no such thing as reading too much! Anyone who questions that... I'm not sure writing is the right business for them.
Wow. I at least would have expected something along the lines of "oh yeah - sometimes I get headaches from sitting at the computer monitor for too long". I mean people at least take breaks from reading don't they? Maybe I should have phrased my question a bit differently...
I'm going to have to disagree with others and say there is certainly a thing as too much reading. Though my experience is mental, not physical. I've used reading as dissociative tactic and have checked out of normal living in order to read constantly. When you are regularly ignoring responsibilities and relationships it's too much.
Tell that to Milton, I'm pretty sure he blinded himself from reading extensively via candlelight. Of course, then he wrote most of Paradise Lost blind through the use of an amanuensis.
I will sometimes find reading here online a bit difficult, especially the short story competitions. I normally don't participate (voting) in those competitions because it's too much to read 5,000 words plus over multiple stories and I don't think it's fair to all the competitors for me to read ONE story out of X number and vote for that story. I should read them all and then pick the best one but reading 5,000 plus words a lot for one story onscreen, never mind multiple stories with that many words. My original thought was to print out the stories and then read the hard copies rather than on a computer monitor but the paper and the ink costs were prohibitive so.... The one thing I did catch myself doing once, I read a lot of the same author - James Patterson or Lee Child once, like seven or eight books back to back and then I caught myself using one of their phrases in my own writing......damn it, I didn't want to copy anyone! I just wanted to write a story. Sigh. I guess the story being similar, their phrasing influenced my writing. That's the only time I see it being a problem.
Yes, because reading can be used to avoid life and to escape from reality. Also, studies have shown it triggers dopamine receptors in your brain like most drugs and pornography. Imo, consuming anything is not so beneficial for us compared with producing our own works.
Reading is the best! It's all about finding what you like; I've rediscovered my love for it lately. I forgot how fun it is! Yeah sometimes, but the solar plexus and the head are two different parts of the body.
Gesundheit. I think I said so elsewhere, but I used to read an average of five books a week now I'm lucky if I manage that many in a couple months. I take breaks from reading but they're unintentional. I just don't read. Until I do read again and then I don't stop for anything. Book discomfort is definitely a thing. I've often stood up and cracked in 9 places because of how I was sitting.
I mean, when I was in 5th grade my teacher said I read too much because I would set my math book up on my desk and hide a book behind it and read through my math lessons....but no, I've never experienced physical pain except for the occasional headache.
I definitely think there is such a thing. It's more for the fact that it takes other parts out of your life. Broadly speaking, a lack of exercise is horrible for your brain. Manual dexterity hobbies and at least a bit of socializing are also vital for staving off degeneration. I'm sure you could pop on an audio book while performing the more physical tasks, though, if consumption matters that much to you.
Nah. Ive finished a 400page book in a single night, once. But ive also had people tell me a read too much and said it as a bad thing. Ive always been "book smart"..... But never been "street smart" I can spout facts, and plots, and research... But i cant tell you how to get from one place to another. If im dropped off in the middle of the city, i panic (something my high school classmates laughed at, as i went to school in the city and everyone took public transportation, and i didnt know the first thing about metro lines or bus routes or streets in general other than "left at the funny looking building"). I dont know which areas are "the bad" areas or whatever (there was an area between high school and the train station where kids get jumped.... I didnt know this. I walked through there. Nothing happened to me, but everyone was like "YOU DONT GO THERE! ARE YOU STUPID??") I did absolutely fine in school, but once school was over for the day, i was lost so yes... I agree with the others who say that reading can take you out of reality
As to the physical? Yeah, i pretty much messed up my eyesight. My eyes are now slow to readjust from near to far. I can read just fine on books and computer, but when i need to look up from that, everything is blurry and i have to wait for things to come back in focus, and the strain gives me a headache. When i got my eyes checked recently, they said i have 20/20vision HOWEVER it just takes a while to get there... Which is no good when you're driving and need to see signs! So, i wear a very low prescription glasses to give my eyes a break. How did i get to this point? I guess reading too much crept up on me...
Right, but those are usually caused by eye strain. You use your eyes to read, not your chest. Unless you are holding up a hardback copy of the unabridged version of The Stand for hours at a time (which would conceivably strain your pectoral muscles depending on the angle), there is nothing about reading that should cause chest pain. Go to the doctor. My husband, 48 years old, non-obese, non-smoker, no previous health problems had weird random mild chest soreness back in November. He went to the doctor, who sent him to the ER, where testing showed that at some point he'd had a minor heart attack. One of his arteries was blocked and he wound up getting a stent in his heart the next day. I'm not trying to freak you out, chances are it's nothing. But hoo boy, if Mr. Kelly had ignored his symptoms, his cardiologist said there's a very good chance he would have had a massive heart attack at some point that might have required bypass surgery or just outright killed him. Don't mess around with chest pain. Go to the doctor.
Not sure why everyone was so adamantly against the idea... I think it's pretty common to become fatigued with reading. Although I think I read a decent amount--all of my issues with guilt at not reading quite enough aside--I do find that I have a limit. In fact, just in the last few minutes I stopped reading a story after only 30 pages or so. I'm not ashamed to admit that either. I think it's perfectly natural to stop reading, especially with writers. It might actually be called word fatigue instead. If I've got loads of ideas swarming round my head and I'm writing my own stories, then I can see why I'd find reading a little more difficult. Also, I unfortunately sub-vocalize when reading and I'm fairly slow to begin with despite reading some fairly complex works over the years. So, in answer to your original question, it's perfectly okay to feel like one has read too much. Edit: or perhaps I've interpreted this wrong and we're talking about health problems?
What I, and several people who mentioned it meant was, if you are experiencing actual pain around your chest area, that is potentially serious. Reading alone should not cause that, and chest pains should never, ever be ignored.
