Reading vs. T.V.

This is my essay on why reading is better than watching T.V. that I had to do for english. Although television is entertaining and fun, it distracts us from a lot of important things. Don't get me wrong, reading is sometimes a chore, but there are a lot of concrete reasons why reading is a better use of time. After reading this you might want to limit the amount of time you spend watching T.V. Okay here it goes:


A wise man once said, “Reading is to the mind as exercise is to the body.” Just as exercise strengthens a person’s body reading increases a person’s intelligence. Unfortunately, more and more people are giving up on reading the printed word and look to the television for news and advice.

The average American watches about 1500 hours of television per year, which adds up to about two months of nonstop television a year. So much of that wasted time could be put to doing something productive! Hundreds of today’s children spend hours upon hours vegetating in front of the T.V.

Reading requires sustained attention, logical analysis, and an active imagination. It improves vocabulary and spelling skills, as well as enhanced speaking skills. While reading, the imagination takes flight and the reader is transported into their own world. Reading was once confined to the elite. Not everyone has been blessed with the ability to read. But now, everyone has the chance to take advantage of the opportunity. The bible says, “you shall not make before yourself a graven image” but, hundreds of people, even Christians, both young and old, have been sucked into or hooked on watching television, and it has become part of their daily lives. The television with its fast moving images, encourages a short attention span, disjointed thinking, and purely emotional responses, is a dangerous tool that Satan uses to tempt us. With the left in control of the media, the effect is usually dangerous. Although T.V. has many Christian programs, more than half of the shows are secular and have a unhealthy influence on young people. Just take celebrities, for example. Most of these stars end up messing up their lives with drinking and doing drugs. This has a significant influence on children and they learn that it is acceptable. It undermines literacy and changes the way children think.

In conclusion, I think reading is a better use of time than watching television. The value of reading has a lasting effect that improves writing and speaking skills as well as vocabulary.