Me distracted at the Kampala Writes LitFest Social media addiction has hijacked my reading and writing. This is my confession, as a first-year Humanities student studying Literature, English, and Journalism. It has been done so that I can barely focus on reading a single page. My daily routine has been to spend most of my free time on social media. One and a half hours on YouTube punctuated by quick checks of Instagram, X, and Facebook. The constant beeps from notifications keep me checking my phone or laptop every other second to read the information that someone has shared or find out what is trending. This constant need to check my phone or laptop has affected my academic performance. Social media has an impact on both reading and writing skills. This reduces literacy among young people. A recent study by Associate Professor Leonie Rutherford suggests that younger readers find it hard to get suitable books to read. This has led to a decline in reading. A survey ...