Books Activity - print or electronic media - Essay Example

Print or Electronic Media Reading a book and watching television, one right after the other, provided me with a new perspective on the differences between the two forms of media. While I was reading the book, I was able to control the direction of my thoughts. I was too focused on what I was reading and trying to picture the story in my mind’s eye that my attention did not have the time to wander. I understood the story that I was reading because I was mentally piecing it all together. However, while I was watching television, it was easy for me to become distracted because the television show did all of my thinking and imagining for me.

I did not have to focus on forming images in my mind or connecting the story. Since everything was right before me on the television screen, my mind wandered a lot and I barely absorbed what I was watching. After both experiences, I have determined that I find the printed word much more enjoyable, as well as exhilarating. One of the most exciting things about reading a book is being able to determine on my own what everything looks like, from the characters to the settings. When it comes to a television show, there is no room left for imagination.

The creators of the show have decided everything for you. If my mind is not actively involved in the activity, I feel no connection to it. With a book, I am able to keep my focus by becoming engaged in the story as I try to picture all that is going on; while watching television, it becomes harder to get myself involved in a story that already has unalterable images. As such, I am definitely a print media person as opposed to an electronic media person. (300)