No – this isn’t another ‘video games suck’ article. Video games have obvious benefits – they increase motor control and sensorimotor co-ordination, they boost self esteem and even encourage team work. However there’s no denying it – books are way better. And in this article, we’ll show you why parents should gift books and not gaming consoles, and why books make an infinitely better gift for children than gaming consoles.

Inculcates a good habit

The primary difference between Books and video games is that reading books is a good habit and playing games is a huge addiction. The reason this addiction is bad is that it can impair eyes, create isolation and cause an overdose of technology. Reading books is a great habit because, it will keep you up to date on everything happening, give you an insight into multiple other perspectives and still establish the aim of entertainment.

Emphasizes importance of books

Gifting creates a legacy – especially when it comes from a person in authority who is also very close to you. In short, what your parents gift you becomes a crucial part of your upbringing – you learn what’s good for you and what isn’t, what is worth having and what isn’t. So if you gift your child books, there’s a high chance he or she will look at the act of reading is worthwhile, interesting and ‘good’, keeping the legacy of books alive.

Increases attention span, creativity and empathy

The benefits of books aren’t unknown – it increases attention spans by engaging the child in a fruitful activity, it fuels imagination and helps the child explore possibilities. An important thing to note is that these benefits are absent in video games. In fact, video games have been proven to reduce attention spans by causing distractions and inhibit creativity.

Enhances imagination

The most important thing a book can do for a child is enhance his or her imagination. Books provide an alternate world for the child to live in, prompting him to dream of more such worlds. This in turn will enable him or her to expand his or her horizons and explore possibilities that didn’t previously exist.

Increases vocabulary

Reading books has more obvious and tangible advantages that video games don’t have – one of which is an extension in vocabulary. Language is the very foundation of life, and the basis of all human interaction and all other subjects. So mastery over language is essentially mastery over the world, and books enable that, video games inhibit that.

More benefits in far less costs

Another practical concern for parents while gifting is money matters – video games are significantly more expensive than books. In fact, upgrades, downloads, other gaming equipment add on to the costs. This makes the endeavour far more expensive than books, Plus books are far more resistant and long lasting as compared to video games.

Boost parent child relationship

Parents and children can bond over books like nothing else. Books allow fruitful and meaningful relationships, such as reading together at night, bonding over favourite characters and more. Conversely, video games isolate children from parents and cause them to withdraw into themselves, adversely affecting parent child relationships.

Books boost intelligence far more than video games

Books stimulate thought, they prompt the child to explore various possibilities, thus enhancing their judgement and perceptions. They also enhance emotional intelligence, by prompting children to relate to and empathize with characters. Video games cannot do that.

Books enhance human connection over robotic logic

When you win a video game, you’re winning against a computerized opponent in a carefully stimulated environment. This not only increases competitiveness but also creates a fake sense of victory, because it doesn’t take into account the human element. But books emphasize on human connection, on real characters and people, even in fantasy situations, and teaches you to value that connection.

Reading gives your child perspective

Reading isn’t just a passive activity, your thoughts are constantly shaped by what you read. This enlarges your perspective on life and also allows you to create your own identity and opinions. Reading this allows your child to findhis own distinct voice and point of view.

Also Read: The Library Is Inhabited By Spirits That Come Out Of The Pages At Night