# Is reading intrinsically superior to watching movies or television? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 12, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474 "2010-11-12T20:09:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474/21 "2010-11-13T00:17:21Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > However, I’d much rather that my hypothetical kid watch a Frontline documentary or a Shakespeare adaptation than some pulp novel. If the kid is already a good reader, I agree. If not, I’d rather the kid learn to become a reader. The pulp novel is just the gateway drug. It’s not that reading is intrinsically superior, period. It’s that reading is intrinsically superior **at some things** , which a person who seldom or never reads will be missing out on. (And there are other things that movies and television are superior at. If you find me some kids who choose never to watch movies or TV, we’ll talk about that.) ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474/22 "2010-11-13T04:17:21Z")
As far as I am concerned, the important thing is that reading is a skill that needs to be practiced so that it does not atrophy. Even reading a trashy novel keeps those skills going so that if the person next has to read something important, he is able to do so. ---
**Author:** ![meanoldman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@meanoldman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meanoldman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474/23 "2010-11-13T04:51:42Z")
Who was that famous guy that said something like “The man that does not read has no particular advantage over the man that can not read” ? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474/24 "2010-11-13T05:47:51Z")
> [@Ruminator](#): > > If the child can’t evaluate it on those terms, treat Frontline the same as pornography. Look, making kids masturbate over episodes of Frontline is just mean! ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474/25 "2010-11-13T20:06:21Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Of course, videogames are even more mentally engaging than books. That’s why I let my kids play them all the time. My son taught himself to read by playing Pokemon … . 😃 I don’t know about that. I can play video games and carry on a totally unrelated conversation. I can’t read a book and carry on a coversation at the same time. Of course that could be just me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474/26 "2010-11-13T20:22:39Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I don’t know about that. I can play video games and carry on a totally unrelated conversation. I can’t read a book and carry on a coversation at the same time. Of course that could be just me. Only because the book is primarily using engaging the verbal portion of your brain. The game is making heavier use of other parts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-reading-intrinsically-superior-to-watching-movies-or-television/560474.md?page=1)