Reading Books vs. Watching TV: A Comparison of Virtues – Part 2

Last week, I brought up the recurring debate of reading a book versus watching television. In that post we saw some of the benefits and problems of reading. Now it is time to take the argument to the screen.

Pro’s and Con’s of TV

Watching TV is effortless. That is possibly the greatest benefit of the moving screen. You sit, you consume, and you needn’t do more than that. Very relaxing! And there is always more, whatever tickles your fancy. An inexhaustible source of entertainment! Only problem is that this endlessness kills your own productivity if you over-indulge, and over-indulging is ever so tempting when it is made so very easy.

Watching TV is an alternative way to learn about the world and listen to stories. Movies and documentaries are no less than books in that respect. Of course you will need to take care what you watch. Watching hour after hour of sitcom reruns and Michael Bay movies may be entertaining, but their educational value is, at best, limited.

Watching TV is cheap and easy. Streaming services like Youtube and Netflix make TV shows and movies available 24/7 on any device with an internet connection. The time of scheduling your favourite show is long gone and TV can be enjoyed at any moment and  almost any place. Just like books.

These days a great many movies – and some TV series – are based on books. Haven’t read ‘Pride & Prejudice’? Pop in the DVD and see what you’ve been missing. Want to know what it was about Stephen King’s ‘It’ that scared people so? Catch it on film. But do remember that most screen adaptations are eviscerated versions of the story. The subtle connections and sometimes the entire main theme are sacrificed: when you read Michael Crichton’s ‘Jurassic Park’ after seeing the Spielberg movie, you may wonder if they really are the same story. Even so, knowing just that is a good reason to pick up the book afterwards.

In Short, watching TV is:

Effortless and relaxing
Broadens the mind

But

Consuming an eviscerated version of the original
A potential deathtrap for your productivity and creativity

While Reading is :

Sensory versatile
Exercise for the brain

but

Physically heavy
Mentally demanding

So, which one is the better choice?

You probably now hear the voice of your parents/teachers/friends/moral and/or spiritual guide scream at the back of your head that this is a no-brainer. The One True Answer is obvious, isn’t it? Isn’t it?

No.

The answer depends too much on your circumstances of the moment for there to be a single true answer. We are taught that TV is the pits and books are sacred, but that has very little to do with what YOU need right now, when you are debating how to spend the rest of the night, or just the next hour: need to unwind after a long day and mindlessly stare at something? Go watch TV. Found a compelling story in print? Go read. Found a compelling story on screen? Go watch it. Want some peace and quiet? Go read.

There is no right answer. The important thing is that you listen and enjoy the stories. How you do that is entirely up to you.

Now put those quarreling little imps on your shoulder to rest and go watch/read as you please!