It’s 10 minutes before class, and someone in the hallway is listening to an audiobook at double speed. Another is scrolling through an AI-generated summary on their laptop. Across campus, students are finding new ways to keep up. Somewhere between the speed and the shortcuts, something feels off. We’re still “reading,” technically, but are we actually absorbing anything?
At a fast-paced school like UT, it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly behind. With demanding coursework, jobs, internships and the pressure to stay competitive, reading has become less about engagement and more about efficiency. It’s turned into a race against deadlines. This shift is not only visible in what students read, but how they read it. Lecture videos are now often sped up, and articles are summarized by AI. For some, it works. For others, it sacrifices depth.
“Coming out of the pandemic, where we were forced to have a lot of video lectures … I’ve moved in the direction of voluntarily having (online lectures) because I think there’s a benefit to lots of students,” psychology professor Dr. Lori Holt said.
Skimming PDFs or plugging articles into AI might help check off an assignment, but it raises a bigger question: What are we actually learning?
“I typically read every word (since) that’s how I work best,” business sophomore Heaven Legleu said. “I can’t really skim through (texts because) I’m sure I’ll miss something really important.”
A UCLA study found that students can retain information well when watching lectures at up to double the normal speed; however, comprehension begins to decline when going over 2 times the normal speed. Students who watched at 2.5 times the normal speed scored lower on both immediate and delayed tests compared to those who watched at slower speeds.
There’s no denying that tools such as audiobooks and AI summaries can be helpful, especially for students with learning differences, limited time or heavy workloads. They offer accessibility and efficiency, and sometimes, they’re the only way to get through the week. Issues arise when these tools replace — not support — actual engagement.
Reading is more than just word recognition. It involves grappling with concepts, identifying disparities, and allowing sentences to linger in your mind. Making judgments, asking questions and discovering unexpected connections is all part of reading. These aspects aren’t included in a summary using bullet points.
“I’ll (watch) videos at double speed, but I feel when I do that, it’s mostly a review session,” Legleu said. “I’m not able to capture the material well, and if I’m not reading it out loud myself… I’m not actually comprehending it, I’m just hearing someone talk at me.”
We run the risk of flattening the experiences that help us develop as individuals and students when we approach reading like a checkbox item. This doesn’t mean that we have to ditch all shortcuts; rather, we must be more intentional about our use of them.
By incorporating flexibility into their lessons, professors can support their students by recognizing the realities of their workloads while still promoting depth over speed. As students, we can look for opportunities to slow down. Sit with an idea for a little longer than necessary, and read something without rushing through it. Not every reading needs to change your life, but every once in a while, it’s worth giving it the chance.
Vazquez is a journalism sophomore from Monterrey, Mexico.
