Books vs television is an unending debate – but a futile one. Books win by a far shot – and here’s why books are better than television?
Why Books Are Better Than Television?
Lack of screen time
Reading a book, even all at once, doesn’t mean staring at a screen for hours at a stretch. And the implications of excessive screen time are but obvious – reduced attention spans, vision impairment, depression, obesity – the list goes on. On the other hand, books do not radiate any rays that may damage your eyes – instead they build comprehension abilities. They’re physically healthier for you.
Build attention span
Books require you to concentrate all your attention and really, really, focus on what’s going on – otherwise you will have no idea what’s happening. Thus, they make you practice having a large attention span, which actually increases your attention span in other areas of life. Conversely, it’s easy to tune out of a television series, or pay half hearted attention to it. You can also multitask while watching television, which reduces overall attention span even more.
Leave space for imagination
Good books are almost always lushly descriptive, and since they create visual imagery in your head rather than on a screen, they make you imagine scenes. Television just shows you a scene, all of which you may not even be able to absorb, but books aren’t like that. Books give you the description of a scene, prompting you to create it the way you like in your head. This makes a person more imaginative and more creative.
Don’t drag on and on
Television shows, especially Indian ones, tend to stretch out long after the execution of the original plots. Everything on television is dependent on TRPs. Even American shows tend to drag on if their popularity is high. But books are concise even in their plot even if they are huge in their volume. Increasingly, editors tend to cut out the parts that may be unnecessary and so the final product is a seamless book where every small detail is important. This means more value in less volume.
Can have multiple interpretations
Because books force the reader to recreate the descriptions of the screen rather than actually show them, they can have multiple interpretations. The space for imagination and the ambiguity in description means that everyone will imagine the book differently. Thus a book is a distinctly unique experience for everyone, and every reader has a special and distinctive relationship with every book. That’s more fun that something that’s the same for everyone because it is spoonfed.
Have sensory and other detail
Books are rich in their descriptions, while tv shows just set the scene a certain way. This means that when you absorb every small sensory detail recorded in a book, you get a holistic and satisfying multisensory experience out of it. Conversely, watching a tv show may not allow you to register every detail, which means that you will focus only on the protagonists or most obvious scenes. Finer details will be left out, which reduces the enjoyment level.
Give an intimate and interior experience
Books are not a collective experience like tv shows, which you might watch with everybody. Books allow you to introspect and meditate on the themes and ideas the author explores, which is a tremendous learning experience. With every book you read, you grow as a person.
Improve vocabulary
Of course, books are better at enhancing language skills than tv shows, because they increase your attention spans. And when you aren’t distracted by visuals, you pay more attention to the words, which are your portal to imagining the world the author has created. Thus, they are more effective in enhancing vocabulary, especially because books convey in words even sensory experiences that tv shows merely display.
No commercial breaks or interruptions
The best part about books, though, is that they are ad free experiences. When you’re in the flow of reading and supremely engrossed in the story, there won’t be any advertisement that completely spoils the mood. Thus the experience is more wholesome and fulfilling.
Also Read: 10 Best Books Based On Office Politics
