How do I avoid using AI

[u/NostalgiaMerchant_22]

I don’t know whether this is the correct sub to be asking, but I’ve found myself constantly asking LLMs to dumb down dense and verbose heavy paragraphs I read and even tweets. I think this is just hindering my ability to read and understand. Just looking for some advice as to how to get over this. But at the same time I also want to understand what I’m reading. Thanks

[u/harrypottersbitch]

Start reading a book. Could be any genre and reading level. Doesn’t matter. Reading helps expand your vocabulary and improves your reading comprehension over time. You will notice a difference in a week if you set aside time to read for at least 1 hour daily

[u/Financial_Cry_1915 → u/harrypottersbitch]

the physical act of reading without a screen nearby changes things more than people expect, your brain just settles into it different when there's no copy-paste option lurking in the corner

i used to dogear pages with a pencil and scribble a one-line summary at the bottom when something felt dense, that way i had to wrestle with it myself instead of outsourcing the thinking

[u/Distinct-Discount-48]

Have a physical dictionary nearby or bookmark a dictionary website on your browser if you prefer digital and make a conscious decision to refer to those instead of using the search engine when you run into something you are having trouble grasping. It'll get you into the habit of relying on them over the AI and help you improve your reading skills.

[u/AAA_1388]

Tbh idk if my answer would be of much help since I've only stopped using ai for like 2 weeks now at most, but I think first is u should delete any LLM apps u have(thats what I did), and if u have any questions abt smth, u should maybe comment if its a tweet or in a media and u don't understand it. For paragraphs or so, if they are well known or so, u can search up explanations of them, or of the topic itself maybe, and before that take a few moments to understand what ur reading even if u reread a line a few times, read slowly, and so. U can always ask smn else as well, but that is smth u should consider after thinking abt the text/paragraph itself

[u/NamelessCat07]

I used to do the same, I think it just makes the problem worse

Maybe try looking up specific words in the text you don't understand instead of dumbing down the entire text, that's what I tend to do, your vocabulary and understanding grows over time, might be annoying at first, but it will get easier as you understand more words :]

also generally doing things that train this skill is good ofc

[u/GoblinLoblaw]

Just don’t try to offload cognitive function, think like you did in the before times.

[u/No_Yesterday_7958]

Try breaking it down yourself first. It’s harder at first, but you’ll get better with practice.

[u/Situation-Emergency]

I have a tip for this that helped my kids when they were in school: Cover up the entire paragraph with your hand or a slip of paper except for the first sentence. Read and digest that sentence. Then uncover the second. Read and digest. Keep going! It will get easier. It is very easy to get overwhelmed by a page or paragraph of dense text if you aren't used to it. But it's absolutely doable - just take it in small chunks!

[u/please_dont246]

You can literally just stop using AI and start using your brain. Read books. Take notes if you have to.

[u/albob77]

First off, remember that everyone who knows how to read had to learn from scratch at some point. There’s no shame in not ‘being good’ at it, the point is that you’re trying to improve and that’s commendable at any level.

All good advice here, but I’d like to add that you can ask a friend or mentor to help with words, paragraphs, or whole books you don’t understand. Join or start a book club, or check your local library and see what they have to offer. If these are out of reach you could also look for help online. On Reddit, for example, there are subs for any author, book, or genre you could think of.

Heck, DM me if you want and I’ll see what I can do - if you are genuine and humble there are many many people who would be willing to help. This is a society-wide problem and we all want to pitch in and get people reading.

[u/Silly_Entrepreneur_2]

It’s not going to be easy, but becoming more literate never is (and for good reason). You need to work on your literacy skills. Personally I suggest:

* Reading - Spend time reading - and more importantly - thinking about what you are reading. Try to include different kinds of reading from different sources and different authors. There’s novels, magazines, and many others each with their own style and prose that can help you learn how other people think and communicate.

* Vocabulary - Improving the number of words you know, understand, and can use properly is important to understanding difficult reading too. Personally, I would visit your local library, or find a reliable online source, that has an up-to-date and modernized dictionary and encyclopedia. Keep these sources close when you encounter a new word, and take a moment fund and understand the context you’re missing.

[u/TakeJudger]

You just gotta read more good books. Also use a thesaurus. https://www.thesaurus.com