I’ve been in a reading slump for about a month now. That’s not to say I haven’t been reading—I still try to read at least a chapter in a book every day—but I typically read two or three books a week. What happened to cause me to all but abandon my favorite hobby? Well, less than two months into 2025, chaos is everywhere, and my ADHD brain can’t handle the distraction. I find myself doomscrolling on my phone for hours, posting my hot takes and reading everyone else’s. I need that dopamine hit that comes from seeing other people reacting to current events the same way I am. It’s a constant drip of confirmation bias that feels like euphoria—fast, easy, and endlessly stimulating.

Recognizing the Problem

Reading used to feel just as pleasurable, and I know it can again, so I decided I just need to change my mindset. Easier said than done. I still feel that pull to pick up my phone after every chapter, and if I do, it’s all over—I’m caught up in the tidal wave of online angst and left adrift for another hour… or three. Who’s going to save me from myself? Enter Batman!

The Batman Effect: A Psychological Trick

When life imitates fiction, maybe the solution is for fiction to imitate life. A little psychological trick called the Batman effect does just that. The Batman effect is a brain hack that helps build confidence and self-control. It works by having people take on the persona of someone they admire. Instead of thinking I can’t do this, they ask What would Batman do? This creates emotional distance from self-doubt and makes challenges feel more manageable.

The Batman effect was studied and named by Dr. Rachel White and Dr. Angela Duckworth, both researchers in psychology. Their work builds on research in self-distancing, a technique that helps people regulate emotions and improve focus by viewing themselves from a third-person perspective.

In a 2017 study, White and her team asked young children to take on the persona of a strong or disciplined character—like Batman—while completing a boring task. The kids who pretended to be Batman stayed focused longer than those who used first-person thinking (“I should keep going”). This showed that adopting an external identity boosts persistence and self-control.

The concept has since been explored in both child and adult psychology to increase motivation, reduce self-doubt, and improve decision-making.

And now, here I am, a grown man, using a mental strategy developed for children to convince myself to stop doing the thing I don’t want to do and start doing the thing I want to do—put that way, it sounds silly that I couldn’t just make that happen on my own. But guess what… It’s kind of fun. It’s cosplay for the mind.

Applying the Batman Effect to Reading

A Scenario: It’s 10:00 at night. Everyone has gone to bed, and I finally have time to myself. This is the time I’ve set aside to read without distraction. I sit down, book in hand, glance at my phone, and see that I have several notifications relating to a social media post I shared. I’m just going to check on my engagement metrics, and then I’ll read my book. One hour, two posts, and 12 comments later, I feel guilty. I put my phone face down on the couch and read a chapter. Then…

Brain: This book is good, but this isn’t satisfying my need for dopamine. C’mon… check on those new posts you made. I’ll bet you’re going viral.

Me: Ok!

Yep, that’s how much self-control I’ve had lately—none!

Now, let’s try this same scenario with the Batman effect.

It’s 10:00 at night… I’m just going to check on my engagement metrics, and then I’ll read my book. Hold on! Batman wouldn’t do that, would he? I read a chapter. Then…

Brain: This book is good, but this isn’t satisfying my need for dopamine.

Me: Yeah? Well, I’m Batman!

Brain: So?

Me: What would Batman do in this situation? He’d be going over case notes, doing detective work. He’d be doing research. He’d be in the Batcave chilling in his Bat Chair, immersed in a dense book. That guy reads! Knowledge and self-discipline are his whole vibe!

Brain: Batman vibes equal dopamine! Yes… you’re Batman. Keep reading, Batman. Doomscrolling is for chaotic chumps like the Joker. Gotham depends on you. Finish that book!

See how effective that was? It’s probably one of the silliest, yet most valuable cognitive tools in my utility belt—precisely because silliness makes it fun, which keeps motivation high. Maybe Batman isn’t the persona you want to adopt. That’s cool, you can use anyone as a substitute:

• Marcus Aurelius – The Roman emperor who embodied Stoic discipline and self-mastery.

• Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) – Self-taught, resilient, and never backs down from a challenge.

• Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) – Keeps emotions in check, trains relentlessly, and never strays from his principles.

• Master Oogway (Kung Fu Panda) – The epitome of discipline and patience, understanding when to act and when to wait.

You do you!

Other Strategies for Focus and Motivation

There are many proven methods available to help those of us who fight against ourselves and struggle with motivation. If the Batman Effect doesn’t work for you, try the Pomodoro Technique for structured breaks, or body doubling for external accountability—the internet abounds with focus techniques and other approaches to help you get things done. Half the fun is in experimenting with them, and when you discover what works for you, run with it! Make it work for you until the next distraction comes along. But until then, Batman is on standby, watching for that signal to call him to action.