User Review: Headway is the Cure for Doomscrolling on TikTok

My New Year’s resolution was to read more—can you guess how many books I checked off my list? Hint: It’s not one, ten, or twenty, but zero. I know, know, that’s so terrible to confess, but I’m busy. But I do have time to watch…hundreds of TikTok videos each day.

I came across this app on TikTok (shocker!) that’s supposed to make it easier to spend more time reading and less time online, and I must say it’s addicting in its own way. Headway sums up full-length books in 15 minutes or less, keeping my short attention span, similar to that of a goldfish, engaged.

The normal price is $15 a month or $90 a year, but I found this deal that’s only $60 for a lifetime subscription! That’s what you call an unbeatable price.

It’s the New Way to Read

What I love most about Headway is that I don’t have to read if I’m not in the mood—and you already know me, I’m not the biggest fan of written words on a page. Instead, I can tap “Listen” and step away from my phone completely.

I’m a huge fan of listening to Headway when I have to do something brutal, like unpacking the dishwasher or cleaning the bathroom, because it makes me feel like I’m being twice as productive. But my favorite after-work activity is popping in my AirPods and picking out a book or two to listen to while I go for a walk outside. 

Don’t judge me—but I’ve been known to scroll through TikToks doing the above activities (it’s a challenge but I find my ways). If you asked me afterward, I wouldn’t be able to tell you a single valuable thing I learned but, with Headway, I can at least come back with some fun facts or tips.

I will say, I’m pretty sure these voice-overs are generated by AI. They sound a little too robotic to be real people, but I’ll personally take that over having to read words on my tiny phone screen. I would compare the voice style closer to Siri instead of the corny voice-overs from TikTok, it’s mostly natural but you can tell something is a little off.

Topics to Interest Everyone—Yes, Even You

I wasn’t really sure what types of books I’d find on Headway before downloading. Honestly, I was pretty worried that nonfiction would = boring business or self-help titles that I simply wouldn’t be able to get through. If that’s your jam, there are some on there, but I was relieved to see there’s no shortage of options!

The first book I listened to was An Immense World by Ed Yong, an exploration into the senses of animals like a dogs’ noses and owls’ eyes. It was a bit more educational than the mukbangs and fashion hauls I usually watch on TikTok.

I’m a really big animal lover, so I’m happy that there are other selections like Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? (that one’s going onto my listening list ASAP) and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. The search tool is pretty intelligent and it’ll pull up related content, too, so you can get pretty specific with your requests and still find something.

Stay on Top of Trends Without Turning a Single Page

A book I saw trending all over TikTok was I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy but (another shocker!) I never got around to reading it. When I saw Headway put together a summary for it, I knew my FOMO was about to be cured.

Headway also drops new content on their app every month so they can stay on top of trending titles like this one, and make sure I don’t run out of new things to browse. Because if I run out of interesting content, I’m in danger of going right back to my days of TikTok doomscrolling.

While I realize the summaries don’t cover every detail of each book, reading or listening feels like hearing your friend’s detailed explanation of a movie they went to see the night before. I get the overall gist, a few specific stories, and some key takeaways, but obviously not every single detail. 

Challenges and Lifelong Learning

I’m still making my way through the mountain of 1,500+ summaries on the app and trying to maintain my learning streak (can any of y’all beat me? I’m at 23 right now!), but I’ve been eyeing up some of the challenges to explore soon.

One is a journey of self-discovery, others are about success and wealth, and there’s also one about modern parenting that I think could technically apply to my cats…I’m just taking my time because I have unlimited, lifetime access to the platform with no end in sight. 

I’ve already turned my failed New Year’s resolution tally from zero to 23 after just a few weeks of having the app. Which is a lot more to say than endlessly scrolling online.

Join me in breaking the doomscrolling cycle with Headway Premium! A lifetime subscription is now $60 (reg. $299.95). 

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