Jelene Juario
In a world of social media and clickbait articles, it helps to be a quick reader. With a stopwatch or timer, you can practice reading faster on your own, but speed-reading apps and software are here to help you tackle that trouble in a more high-tech way. The thing is, learning how to read faster is only half the fight. The real challenge is to digest and grasp the knowledge as you read it at lightning speed.
Benefits of speed-reading software
Spreeder, one of a few different speed-reading programs, is one of many types of speed-reading software. It uses state-of-the-art reading tools and professional teaching tips to help people read up to three or four times faster! One big selling point is their promise to help users, “Be educated and interesting with much less effort.” Who doesn’t want that?
Spreeder makes reading easier in several different ways, with varying levels of difficulty. They usually target people who are students or read lots of web content; in other words, people who have to read a lot, quickly. Some of the strategies include working on habits like subvocalization and regression, automatically syncing data between devices, and using data about users’ reading habits. Like most speed-reading software, it can flash words on one part of the screen in rapid succession, rather than making readers’ eyes move side to side as they go.
Spreeder also offers its users a wealth of specialized training resources. It has a tool to customize your speed of reading at an easy pace. There are also guided training and progress reports to improve your reading skills. If you’re more of a social learner, it even has an option to study in groups! The web and mobile apps are free to use, but with upgrading to Spreeder CX you will get more advanced training and features.
Downsides of speed-reading software
Just like anything else in life, speed-reading software has its downsides. One of the most obvious is that, unlike reading a physical book or listening to an audiobook, using speed-reading software requires looking at a screen. This may not seem like much of a downside, but especially if you’re already looking at a screen for most of the day for work, the additional blue light can be harmful to your eyes and even your sleep cycles. If you plan to use speed-reading software extensively, it may be worth it to look into reducing the blue light emitted by your screen or even investing in blue light blocking glasses.
In addition, while speed-reading software can increase your reading speed, it takes time and diligence to do so. This isn’t a quick fix, though many people seem to wish it was! Just like any other app that promises to make you better at something, it takes time and consistent use to really see the results. While it will likely help you read faster with consistent use, it probably isn’t much more effective than older methods when you account for frequency and consistency of use.
In addition, the number of words in such a short amount of time can lead to information overload. Especially if you’ve had bad reading habits before, it’s possible that Spreeder will help you read faster but not help you comprehend what you’re reading faster. We’ll talk more about the reading comprehension issue in the next paragraph, but for now, know that it’s a pretty big one.
So, Does Spreeder Help You Improve Your Reading?
So, is Spreeder worth it? Many reviewers say it is worth it for the clean interface, ability to use your own downloadable books and public domain books, and tools to help you speed up with your reading. Some mention a limited amount of books and an inability to change pace while you are reading content as downsides. Still, if your primary goal is to read faster, Spreeder seems to be effective at doing that.
The biggest downside according to those who have tried it out is that, while the content was understandable, it’s easy to lose the meaning and rhythm of the content if you do not know the information beforehand. In other words, the time between words and paragraphs are moments for our brains to reflect upon their meaning. These small pauses are a huge part of what makes the difference between reading and skimming. So, Spreeder is much less like “normal” reading and much more like skimming extra-fast.
With that in mind, this can definitely be a helpful tool for readers looking to pick up the pace or zip through some content, as well as a fun way to experiment with a different way to read. Reading and writing are as old as cave art, and we’re only getting better at both! It remains to be seen whether speed-reading options will be the next evolution or just a quick phase.
