The invention of the telephone marked a sea change in the way we relate to content. Overall, we want things to be fast, immediate and seamless. And for the most part we get exactly what we want. Our news apps are updated with an abundance of new content every hour, and breaking stories also have real-time text updates. We live in an age of painless convenience.
This type of lifestyle is great for some but not all. In fact, it can often have negative consequences on our mental health and the way we interact with others. In recent years I have tried to counteract this with active decisions to pursue a different path. This included turning off notifications on my phone, deleting social media apps, and setting aside dedicated times of day when I interact with my phone. I’m far from perfect, but so far I’m happy with the results.
One of the apps that has helped me compartmentalize my day more effectively is Pocket app. How does this help? I often spend ten or fifteen minutes reading a few articles online, but that doesn’t give me enough time to read everything I want in that sitting. Pocket lets me save these articles to read later, so I can read them when I’m ready.
Home screen heroes
This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps we couldn’t live without. Read them all here.
One of the best things about Pocket is that it works on all my devices, so it’s ready when I need it. For me, the two most common places I need it are the phone and the laptop. Pocket takes the form of an app for your phone and an extension for your browser, but on both platforms the process is remarkably similar.
On a phone it’s as simple as pressing “Share” followed by “Pocket.” If you’re comfortable sharing the latest and greatest things you’ve found with your family or friends, then you’ll feel right at home with Pocket. On the web it’s just as simple; just press the “Pocket” button on your chosen browser and the rest is covered.
On both platforms, when saving, Pocket gives you the option to add tags. I don’t tend to use them, but if you save a lot of articles regularly, these tags will help you find what you want to read more quickly. They will also be useful if you are looking for content that you saved a long time ago.
Once shared with the app, everything else will be done in the background and you will have the article waiting for you when you want to read it. All of your saved articles are found in the “Saves” tab of the app and are presented in date order, with the most recent appearing first.
It is then up to you when you decide to delve deeper into the articles. If you tagged them, you can choose to read similarly themed articles all at once, which I love doing. Alternatively, if you like a mix of topics, work from top to bottom.
I like to find a block of time each day, usually right before bed, to catch up on the day’s saved content. The kids are in bed, I’m settling in for the night and everything is calm in the house. Having a bunch of articles saved already saves me from mindless scrolling while trying to find something interesting.
I also love the dedicated features for targeted reading. Not only is there a dark mode and dedicated character options, but there’s also a geeky playback option. It’s obviously not the most natural reading, but it’s a great option if you feel too tired to concentrate on reading.
Pocket has helped me feel more informed about the content I consume. It keeps me more focused at other times of the day and allows me to enjoy the content infinitely more than if I was rushing through it.
Download the Pocket app at iOS OR Android
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