Reading for pleasure: outdated? – Nedu Odunze, JAGS

One avid reader said, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever gone a day in my life without reading something. Every evening, the last thing I do before I go to bed is read at least a couple chapters. I truly do believe it’s made me a better and more well-rounded person overall.’ ‘I’ve been everywhere, it feels like, sometimes. And you get so emotional. Just last week I had to stop and just take a break, for a minute because I was so overwhelmed by how the author had made the characters feel so real.’ Another said. They added, ‘You don’t get that from a movie, it’s just not possible.’ On the other hand, many believe that there are much more sophisticated and greater pleasures than reading, and in a constantly evolving world, you can see why. Movies and shows, the primary forms of entertainment, have much greater budgets and visions, typically, than novels, and are often written primarily for the audience in mind, not the creator. These factors often make them more easily digestible and instantly enjoyable than a long novel. They also have a much stronger community factor, as since new shows tend to gain a lot of attention immediately, they tend to be a talking point for at least a month after they come out. Movies especially can be almost art pieces with strong visual elements and minor details for the audience to pick out, which is much harder to convey in written form.

A frequent movie enjoyer said, ‘I feel like this isn’t something a lot of us can admit, but a good movie will always beat a good book. They really show you what can be achieved when a group of people use their best talents to make something fun or scary or whatever, while books just feel a bit one-sided sometimes. It’s hard to engage properly, if you ask me.’ In the end, the decision really comes down to personal choice. Readers may be diminished, but those who remain are still devoted to one of the oldest forms of entertainment. And who knows? One day soon a debate could be going on over the continues relevance of the ancient form of entertainment, the ‘movie’.