It is no secret that in the past, our society has idolized books and the learning component that comes with them. We have been told by numerous adult figures that reading is better for us than watching a movie, and there is no difference when it comes to picking between reading a book or watching a movie based on the book. With outside opinions flying at us at every moment, our generation has been programmed to believe that books are far more educational than movies and that we should always read the book first, before watching the same movie. Yet, movies still manage to squirm their way into everyone’s lives, and for the better too. Watching the adapted movie before reading the book that it is based on is truly the way to go in this year’s society.
One big element that persuades teenagers from picking the movie over reading the book is simply because it can be more entertaining. While reading can be fun and all, it gets rather dull quickly. Reading page after page of the same text doesn’t entertain us as much as it used to, especially as our world becomes more and more technologically advanced. As teachers and workers begin to gear more toward online learning and training, it is no shock that we are following their tactics. Watching a film gives us the pleasant visual factor that books cannot always provide us with. Despite books allowing us to embrace our imagination, it all comes down to enjoyment, and what teenagers would rather spend their time doing on a Friday night. Most of the time, it will be going out with friends to see a new movie, rather than staying at home and reading the book.
In addition, watching a movie instead of reading the same book is more convenient for teenagers, even if it doesn’t always seem like it. For instance, reading a 500-page book can take up to the same amount of time that it would take to watch a movie, if not longer. This also doesn’t take into account the several distractions that we might encounter when reading a book, which makes us pause and causes us to lose our place in the book that we were reading. When watching a movie, we can be met with those same interferences, yet we can still listen to the movie that we were currently watching. In most cases, movies are also available to us when we are traveling by car or plane, unless Wi-Fi is not available. Even then, most movies can be downloaded onto phones, computers or TV’s. While books can be more accessible in the sense that all we have to do is open them, movies don’t give you the car sickness that books do. Although both movies and books are convenient in their own ways, movies are naturally becoming more popular nowadays, and teenagers can incorporate them into their everyday lives whether that be having a movie night with a bunch of friends or having it play in the background as they work on homework.
Despite the fact that movies bring people together and allow everyone to feel excited and thrilled, individuals might prefer to read a book, and then watch the movie after. In some cases, movies that are based on a certain book may not always seem reliable or correct. Fans can get disappointed about how the movie portrays actors and how they go off script from the plot of the book. While there is no way to stop this from happening in particular events, it is not always inevitable. Most of the time, when issues like this arise, directors and other movie managers are already aware of this and do their best to stick closely to the plot of the book, while still planning out surprises to keep the movie entertaining. If a movie was completely based on the book, point by point, and word for word, then why even make a movie? Movies are produced in order to keep their audience on their toes, while also keeping them invested in the movie itself. Movies that are based on a book are supposed to somewhat follow the storyline that the book follows, but they should also make it unique and different in their own way.
Moreover, reading the book before watching the movie has its perks, but watching the movie first allows us to stay more engaged with the context and we can mix it into our everyday lives. Watching the movie first has more overall benefits and as the future approaches, our generation will gradually move more toward the internet as our source of entertainment, and movies give us that enjoyment that we want. While reading the book first before watching the movie that is based on has been the “right” option in the past, in the end, it is really up to the individual to decide which platform entertains them most: books or movies.
