Happens way too often to me.

edit: I had no idea this was such a common issue!

  • penguin_ex_machina@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    I used to read a lot more, and I do remember this happening, but it happens a lot for me now with podcasts. I’m a big podcast junkie and I will often find myself going down a rabbit hole of thought and realizing I have no idea what they’re talking about anymore.

    • kalahlora@sh.itjust.works
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      2 years ago

      So glad it’s not only me zoning out on podcasts. I haven’t been able to read a book in years. I’m hoping i can get back into reading again now that I nuked my reddit account

  • candyman337@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Not sure how common this is, but I know as a kid this was caused by my ADHD, and it would cause me to take twice as long to read a book

  • Dandroid@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    It’s not even just books for me. I can watch a movie a second time it’s like watching a whole new movie. Like I completely missed half the plot and most of the details. I can also watch 100 episodes of a TV show and realize that I don’t know the main character’s best friend’s name (the best friends who had 30 focus episodes and appeared in 86 of the 100 episodes).

    • bbtai@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      It’s not even just books and movies for me. Sometimes I’d be talking to someone in real life and I’d suddenly become distracted (a text message comes in, I’m reminded about an errand because of a word they said), and the words come in and they don’t make sense. Nowadays I’ve seemed to learned how to queue the words and process them after I get distracted lol.

      • AvaddonLFC ☄️ 🤘@lemmy.worldOP
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        2 years ago

        I can relate to this. Even while talking, sometimes I might forget what I was saying right in the middle of a sentence, and then move my focus onto completely different stuff. I find that eating well and being active somewhat helps though.

  • Speckle@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    I’ve absolutely read a book, thought it was a bit predictable, got to the end and realised I’ve read it before 🤦

  • rss3091@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Yup. So many times. I’ve to go back and reread those pages because my mind hasn’t registered what the words said.

  • Nivekk@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Yes, except instead of reading it’s listening, and instead of fiction it’s whatever I was supposed to remember to do after work today.

  • linearchaos@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Oh, God yes. And I do it on audiobooks no less. I was reading something a few months ago. “And she still had no idea who the spy was that one of her friends had been killed and replaced with master impersonator”. Wait… WTF? The chapter just started out that way. Well crap, chapter rewind. No I heard how that one starts out, tractor rewind again… No I heard that one too. I moved back through four chapters…nothing. I went and found the ePub downloaded it and text searched it. It happened like seven chapters ago in the middle of a chapter and I missed maybe 15 pages of content.

    It also happens when I’m commuting now and then if I’m listening. I’ll realize that I’m not paying good attention and tap 30-second rewind half a dozen times. Listen to it all again and realize that I totally missed everything they said again even though I’m not doing anything else but driving. I just put some music on and go the hell home.

    • Tumulto@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      I’ve actually found audiobooks super helpful in clearing out my backlog, but there are certainly times where i feel like i accidentally started listening to a completely different book

  • spicymayo@sh.itjust.works
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    2 years ago

    Yeah, then I try an reread the passage and do the same exact thing. I think it happens to me moreso when I’m disinterested or tired.

  • Alpagu@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    You keep reading because reading is a reflex. If you can’t get your attention, you’ll keep reading, but you’ll be contemplating in your imagination. This is normal.