Louis Michael: Reading vs. films & games

I grew up with my head stuck in a book. My obsession was such that I once spent an entire day reading outside, too engrossed to be conscious of the fact that I was sat in the scorching summer sun for the entire day. To make matters worse that was the first day in my life that I had ever thought wearing a vest would be a good idea, and I paid for my mistake by wearing vest tan lines for the rest of that summer. I doubt I cared much. I was probably more interested in finishing my book than putting on aftersun.

That’s what bookworms are like. Their priorities are always structured around books. For years my birthday was greeted with a sigh of relief because there was never any debate about what present to get me; as long as it had words on the page and a beginning, a middle and an end I was happy.

But you’ll notice how I speak in the past tense. Sadly, somewhere along the way I wandered from the reader’s road. As I grew older my attention was caught by the allure of technology. Slowly but surely my hands got more used to the feeling of holding a game controller than a book. And eventually the minimal effort of collapsing on the sofa and binge watching Netflix became far more preferable to focusing on words and actually consciously using my brain.

A book holds infinite interpretations in its pages

But there’s a sour taste left in my mouth recently after a few solid hours binge watching or gaming, and I’m left feeling unsatisfied. And in searching to fill that hole I’ve felt myself being pulled back more and more to my books. Since returning to the world of leisure reading I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for the activity.

We need reading. Something magical happens when you create a scene in your head. Your brain engages and manifests something for you to see that isn’t really there. And suddenly there you are. A bona fide virtual reality simulator, totally free and built into your body. Now you could argue that films are more immersive than books, that it’s more realistic if you can actually see what’s going on instead of trying to imagine it. But in response to that all I can say is that I can remember scenes from books that I’ve read with just as much, if not more detail, than films I’ve watched. A book holds infinite interpretations within its pages, whereas a film leaves room for no interpretation but the director’s.

Growing up in the digital age means you are surrounded by distractions. Everywhere you look there’s some shiny new toy or brand new TV show that demands your focus. Take the time out for a book, take a break from constantly looking at screens, take a journey somewhere new.