In today’s technologically driven world, the way people relax, learn, and entertain themselves has changed. The days of snuggling up in the bed or on the sofa with a good book has been replaced with the television and remote controller. Very few people value the act of turning pages, or the smell of a new book. The craving for mental stimulation has given way to the igniting of peoples combined senses of sight and sound at once. Movies provide a faster incursion of information than the process of reading a book. One of the problems we face today is that reading, and the comprehension of what has been read, is becoming a dying art.
I can remember when basic television went off at twelve o’clock midnight, and only privilege people could afford a satellite. People read stories to their children and themselves for amusement. The water cooler discussion was about books, not what happen the night before on Modern Family. Most people’s idea of relaxing was to lay on the bed wrapped up in a blanket with a good book. For some people a bubble bath, a glass of wine, and a good book was the perfect escape from a tough day. Those days have been replaced with the use of Directv, Blockbuster, and Netflix. Now families entertain themselves with food and movies. Books have taken the back seat to the movie of the week. What people used to learn from reading can most often be viewed in a movie. High Definition television and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound has defeated the calming pages of the book.
The rough feel of the remote controller has eclipsed the soft fill of book pages. Pressing a button to change the channel on the television has become more invigorating than turning the page of a book. The need to read the next page is no longer as gratifying as the need to see what is on the next channel. With television the senses of sight and hearing are inflamed. Books tap into the reader’s sense of sight and smell. The aroma of a new book fills the nostrils and becomes therapeutic in the tranquil influence of the reading experience. The sound of the television excites the senses and will not allow the mind to calm it’s self. If one were to hold a dollar bill and a coin in front of a young child the child would instinctively reach for the shinny coin. Television is that shiny thing with its hypnotizing colors and its audience is the baby reaching for the remote controller.
The act of reading allows the reader to exercise their brain. To read one must think, focus, comprehend, and interpret what they are reading. For many, this is asking too much. Most contemporary people are impulsive, impatient, and lack the ability to concentrate on a single task. Movies give the audience immediate gratification. Movies are starting to lose the imagination they once had, as directors are remaking old movies for new audiences. The little changes made to these old movies leave them predictable. Books permit the reader to envision life through the writer’s eyes. While reading, one can get lost in their book or journey to a new world. Not knowing what will happen next in a book makes the reader visualize a possible out come. This encourages one to use their brain to think, there by causing healthy brain activity.
All around us bookstores are closing. No longer do we see people sitting outside of coffee shops reading. Now, everywhere you go there is some one watching a movie. People watch movies in their cars, on their phones, on their laptop computers, tablets, and sometimes at their jobs. Soccer moms used to form book clubs but now they discuses the latest Life Time Movie. Growing up I was taught, “Reading is fundamental”; meaning reading is a necessity to function in society. Most children today are more concern with having the latest gadgets than they are with their education. I believe we are at a breaking point in our society. There is a war that is being fought over our children and future generations. Technology has changed the way we write, speak, and interpret information. Being able to spell is no longer a concern. The new language is texting, and one is only required to know a few letters in a word to do this. The basic right to read that women and minorities fought for is being freely given away. People use to view books and the information in them as freedom. Books are now becoming a thing of the past soon to be housed in museums with dinosaurs and mummies.
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