10 Benefits of Reading Over Watching TV

1. Enhanced Vocabulary: A Key Benefit of Reading Over TV

Even though TV is mostly dialogue, books are better than television at increasing your vocabulary. So why is reading better for your vocabulary?  TV typically uses short and simple sentences, pitched at a fourth-grade level.

Good children’s books, however, typically contain language twice as complex as a TV show. This means using a greater range of vocabulary, longer sentences, and more complex sentences. Adult novels and especially newspapers can step up the benefits again, with even richer and more varied language.

A paper on What Reading Does for the Mind stated that reading volume contributed directly to vocabulary knowledge in fourth to sixth-grade children.  Author Anne Cunningham of Berkeley concludes that reading can build verbal (and other) abilities in children regardless of academic achievement levels.

Better verbal abilities also translate to better writing skills which is important in many jobs. Understanding the impact of books on our language skills unveils why reading is indeed better than watching TV.

2. Focus and Concentration: How Reading Outperforms Watching

This benefit of reading is one that TV actually damages.  TV actively develops short concentration habits leading to poor focus.  TV shows are made up of short ‘scenes’ between advertisement breaks.  Most scenes in shows are fast paced, high action, with constantly changing camera angles.  We call this the “Sesame Street syndrome” as that show changes more frequently than average.

Rapid changes are designed to stop people hitting the remote button and switching stations. So watchers of television tend to develop a short attention span or lack of focus. If you also multitask when watching TV your lack of focus gets even worse.  You probably multitask because you are not fully engaged in the experience and not using mental muscles.

Books, on the other hand, develop focus and concentration skills as they engage and hold the reader’s attention. This is an exercise for our focus and thinking muscles.   We don’t usually take a break from reading every few minutes.  In fact, we rarely do other things at the same time as reading.  Sometimes we are so focused on our reading we are barely aware of the world around us at all.  Sound familiar? Another compelling reason why books are better than TV is their ability to develop focus and concentration.

3. Cultural Engagement: Reading’s Advantage Over TV Viewing

Studies have shown that readers tend to enjoy concerts, plays, and museums more than non-readers. We haven’t found any studies on this compared to TV watchers, but again, the skills of concentration and focus are needed to enjoy the Arts.  Skills watching TV do not seem to help.

4. Stimulating Imagination: Reading vs. Watching TV

A Los Angeles County study showed children produced less imaginative responses after watching a film, compared to listening to a story.  When we read (or just listen) we have to create a vision of everything in our mind.  We use our imagination to craft the world and events described in the book.  This exercise stimulates many functions of the brain.

In comparison, a TV show provides the full visual image for us and eliminates any background information or musings by the characters.  We turn off our imagination and receive the story as imagined by the director.

This is one reason we never think the movie is as good as the book. We imagined it differently to the director so it doesn’t match our experience.  Who hasn’t seen the outcries when the cast of the latest book-to-movie project is announced? Each reader has their own vision and the selection of a particular actor can polarize the book community who see it quite differently.

Enhancing your imagination through reading is a journey of endless discovery. Titles such as ‘Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon‘ will help readers discover their artistic side and build a more fulfilling creative life. Exploring such books not only fuels your creativity but also provides a gateway to new ideas and perspectives.

To continuously discover reading materials that relax and inspire, consider subscribing to a book subscription service. These curated experiences deliver hand-picked books right to your door, ensuring you always have something fresh and exciting to read. It’s a wonderful way to expand your horizons and find new favorites that you might not have picked up otherwise.

8. Memory Retention: How Reading Strengthens the Mind Versus TV

Readers have to remember the plot line and any subplots; what the hero or heroine looked like; who they’ve met and many other details to make the story coherent and enjoyable. Reading a book series can increase that mental exercise.

In comparison, TV eliminates much of the extra inputs and provides a visual feed instead. The typically simple plots limit the variables a watcher needs to remember.

After all, you can only fit a limited story into a 30-50 minute ‘episode’.  And TV shows typically provide a recap after every break. So TV shows tend to contain very surface-level characters & ideas.  They rarely involve complex situations or ideas as there just isn’t time. Even longer formats such as movies typically have to leave out large chunks of plots or even whole characters (does anyone else miss Peeves in the Harry Potter movies).

Active mental stimulation like reading slows down the rate of memory loss a 2012 study has shown. And Alzheimer’s is 2.5 times less common in elderly people who read regularly.

9. Personal Growth: The Transformative Benefits of Choosing Books Over TV

Research is showing that the excessive violence on TV through news, or just television shows is overpowering both children and adults.  This bombardment desensitizes our ability to feel sympathy or empathy with those suffering.  Reduced empathy has been shown to significantly contribute to aggressive behavior.

When we read, we can identify with characters and their thoughts – we can be the hero who solves the mystery, the kick-ass vampire heroine who finds herself, and a million other characters. Reading allows us to experience emotions in a safe environment, without ongoing obligations. This has been shown to develop our empathy and understanding.

At a higher level, reading requires us to attribute the mental state of a character to that character – called Theory of Mind. Sometimes described as ‘putting yourself in another’s shoes’.  We rarely get insight into character’s thoughts on TV.  Emotions have to be kept simple and acted out clearly for watchers to follow.

10. Entertainment Value: Finding Deeper Joy in Reading Compared to TV

Perhaps this benefit of reading is shared with watching TV.  We can laugh and cry with a good book or a good movie.

We are not saying no to watch television if you want some entertainment.  Just remember, many benefits of reading are already proven by science. Reading benefits our brains.  And unfortunately, the research suggests that tv watching has few if any benefits, and is not so good for us in general.  So keep reading as well.

As we conclude our journey through the compelling reasons why reading is better than watching TV, it’s clear that the act of reading offers unparalleled benefits for our minds and souls. From fostering imagination and improving focus to enhancing empathy and verbal skills, the advantages of reading are as diverse as they are significant. This exploration reaffirms why books are better than TV, not as a dismissal of television’s entertainment value, but as a celebration of reading’s profound impact on our lives.

In embracing books, we choose a path of active engagement and self-discovery, enriching our lives beyond the passive consumption of screen-based entertainment. Let’s cherish and prioritize the timeless joy of reading, furthering our understanding of reading vs watching and embracing the endless benefits that books bring into our lives.

Reading is an exercise for the brain. Like exercise develops the body, reading develops the brain in many different ways. As the saying goes, if you don’t use it you lose it. So reading is important and the benefits of reading over watching TV are proven.