This is something that has always been debated in my circle of friends and family. I think that both of these activities are related to each other because they both help us gain knowledge, but are also very different because watching a movie is more of a visual input and reading a book is more of a stimulation of those parts of our intelligence related with language. Atleast that's the way I look at it.

I find that its really hard to get through some books and the same goes for movies. They are both different kinds of literary indulgences. What do I prefer? I guess it really depends on the state of mind a person is in. One thing I've found out is that its almost impossible to do both simultaneously. One might compare a book with a movie and see which parts have been taken from the book by the movie or vice versa. And one has to admit that it is a little hard to get into a book right away. It takes a little preparation before one can jump into it. I guess watching a movie is has a certain casualness that is usually not associated with reading a book. I think the question should be how can we make reading a book a more pleasurable experience. I have certain antics I use to benefit this. It includes "read alouds", changing the tone of voice and using different accents when I start to loose a little interest and veer off. One of my favorite ways to make reading interesting is starting two or even more books at the same time. I don't mean read them side by side, but start more than one book and keep moving between them every now and then. It really works.

If one is looking for a more in-depth experience and learning unbound by a palpable and clear vision, then one should definitely go for a good book. A book works by taking more time of the reader and that allows the reader to think more and relate each few lines with personal experiences and fantasies. I find myself reading the same paragraph or a page over and over again sometimes. How often do you rewind a scene from the movie?(If you're in a theatre its not even an option).

Of course, these days its harder to get people to read, especially young ones. there's so much to do that people would rather get a quick fix rather than read a book. How about video games? video games vs. tv? How about comic books? Comic Books vs. Books? What I'm trying to say is that our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and soon we'll need some sort of device to slow us down and enjoy something like a book.

Of course there's the argument that a book allows one to explore his/her own world while a movie is essentially the director's vision. So neither is an alternative for the other.

My opinion is that we exist in a world that is deep and profound and as long as we can find methods to impart knowledge to ourselves we should indulge. Even if that means watching a movie while reading a book, while listening to music and shifting gears at the same time, while trying to balance the food(although that might seem a little absurd, it could be a psychological experiment and an exercise dealing with the subconscious). But we should also strive to find a little balance every now and then and hence should not seek one form of knowledge to replace the other.

Learn more about this author, Hassan Shafiq.
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