reading for pleasure vs watching TV

I agree that reading is thought-provoking and can expand one’s imagination. Furthermore, reading has the great potential to develop one’s language skills in a more subliminal and in-depth way than watching TV.

By reading, we form a mental picture of what the author narrates and depicts. Through the use of words, the author is creating pictures and images of the scenes within the book in our mind. Though we may have finished reading a novel like God Father, we can often ‘see’ certain scenes again with a ‘rerun’ in our mind. Another example is our reading mind may also go along with the multiple reports and stories in a daily newspaper, which helps lift our horizon, develop our cultural enlightenment and enrich our language abilities.

The ability to use language is actually a cumulative build-up from reading. An author should have a large pool of language skills before a volume or an article could be written. By the same token, we read to interpret, understand or even enjoy either for pleasure or for knowledge. In the course of reading, we are willingly or unwillingly influenced and will turn to use what we have read.

In comparison, TV focuses mainly on visual impact and offers audiences instant gratification. The imagery created is external from our mind and is created by the director and depends on the footage taken, though it could be said that this footage is, in itself, a realisation of the imagination of the director!

From the contrast between reading and watching TV, I think that reading can make a person perfect. The end resulting from reading is long-term whereas that from TV may be temporary and not as significant in potential as reading.