The Paradox of Switching Off

The Reader’s Edge | Charlie Samways | September 6, 2026 |

Over the last week, I’ve been reminded that finding a balance between tech and intentional living can shift.

I’ve just got back home after travelling down to Italy from the South of England. My family and I travelled by car for a friend’s wedding, which also meant we could take our dogs.

It was a car full of people, dogs and cases.

As always, I went into the trip wanting to minimise the amount of time spent on my iPhone, to soak in everything. I know that one minute you feel present, the next you find yourself doomscrolling, and missing the moment.

I tend to think of my e-readers differently. They are typically single-purpose, and reading to me always feels like it has a greater purpose than scrolling aimlessly. 

But on this trip I started asking whether e-readers also take you out of the moment, in a different but similar way to modern smartphones.

Over the ten days we were away, it was the least time I’ve spent reading on a holiday in a while, and that wasn’t a bad thing.

In recent years, a holiday abroad has been all about cramming in as much reading as possible. I’d come home feeling proud of having the best month of reading, because of all that extra time.

This time though, if we weren’t taking part in the wedding celebrations, we were doing something as a family, like visiting Padua, Juliet’s balcony, or hunting for the best gelato.

I realised that having this different type of trip is what intentional living should be. It’s going with the moment.

I may have read less than on a normal holiday, but this was replaced by other memories that will stay with me.

The Paradox of Escapism

Each one of us has a choice about how we spend our leisure time.

Because of the challenge doomscrolling poses, a lot of content focuses on our relationship with our modern devices.

But a recent study published in Psychology & Marketing asks whether an absorbing activity, such as reading, is a form of missing the moment.

The researchers found that escaping reality isn’t a single, binary thing. Whether an escapist episode is beneficial or harmful depends on the reintegration into everyday life from that alternative reality.

The situation for me lent itself to spending time with my family. We chose to explore the local shops and cafes in those windows when I may have normally sat in the sun and read. If I had missed those trips into the local town, I would have felt like I’d missed out.

Similarly, this can work the other way too; I recently turned down an invitation to meet a friend to get my work done before going away. This was something I had to do to relax during the trip, and it was the right choice because it left me feeling happy with my decision. 

I’m a big supporter of e-readers generally, but knowing this trade-off exists can help you make decisions that leave you feeling satisfied.

The book will still be there when I get home. Padua's back streets, the wedding, an evening with my family in a place we'd never been together, won't be. That's the actual trade-off, not tech versus presence, but the always available versus the once available.

This Week’s Question

Has there ever been a moment where an activity you normally love - reading, a hobby, anything - felt like it was taking you out of a moment rather than adding to it? What did you do differently?

Reply to me at hello@charliesamways.com. I read every one.

From The Channel This Week

There was no video on my channel this week, but I have just received the Xteink X4 Classic. This hasn’t even been released to the public yet, and I’ll be getting some content on that out soon, so keep an eye on the channel.

And I’ve just updated my Free Kindle Guide with a bonus section on speed reading, which is available for all members to download here

Wishing you all the best this week, and making choices that leave you feeling satisfied.

Catch up next week,

Charlie Samways