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Movies v. Books

Little Linguist

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As a child I used to read tons and tons of books; now I watch more movies. I think this is because I have to do a lot of reading for my job, but I'm not sure. Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?

Of course, I still read books. When I was younger, however, I always had my head stuck in a book. It made me wonder if education killed my love of reading or if I'm changing, or what the deal is....

Has this happened to anyone else, and if so, why?
 

prplchknz

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I read a ton of books up until highschool when they began making us read all the fracking time. Now I'm getting back into reading, though i still watch alot of movies except during the school year when i'm reading stuff for school. But once school is out or on breaks I read for my enjoyment. So for me the more I have to read the less I actually read. But if I had all the time in the world it probably be me alternating between watching movies and reading and writing.
 

Wade Wilson

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I've sort of noticed this too. I usually read on the commute to/from work and afterwards if I'm really engrossed or close to the end of the book but lately I've been watching anime on my commute. However, this goes in cycles. I'll buy a stack of books and read them all then take a break and repeat several months later.

At home, I really don't read as much as I used to but I have my TV on all the time.

I think because with TV I can just flip around and find something interesting. Books usually require me to do some research on what I want to read or I have to wait for a whim.
 

Little Linguist

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I read a ton of books up until highschool when they began making us read all the fracking time. Now I'm getting back into reading, though i still watch alot of movies except during the school year when i'm reading stuff for school. But once school is out or on breaks I read for my enjoyment. So for me the more I have to read the less I actually read. But if I had all the time in the world it probably be me alternating between watching movies and reading and writing.

I've sort of noticed this too. I usually read on the commute to/from work and afterwards if I'm really engrossed or close to the end of the book but lately I've been watching anime on my commute. However, this goes in cycles. I'll buy a stack of books and read them all then take a break and repeat several months later.

At home, I really don't read as much as I used to but I have my TV on all the time.

I think because with TV I can just flip around and find something interesting. Books usually require me to do some research on what I want to read or I have to wait for a whim.

I can relate to both of you. Hmm, it's interesting to see I'm not the only one that goes on reading binges and then movie binges. :D I was starting to think I was getting stupid or something.

Maybe my S is just growing hehe. :D
 

Tallulah

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I'm always reading, still--but these days I do most of it online.

I like to read, but reading an actual book takes SO much of my focus that I rarely do it. When I read a good book, and good books are the only ones I have any patience for at ALL, that's what I'm going to be doing obsessively and without taking a break, until it's completely finished. I consume books when I read them. So I don't read as much these days. Too much else I'd rather do. I read a lot in captive places, though. When I'm traveling, I'm all about reading. And when I lived in New York and rode the subway all the time, I read a ton of books.

My main irritation with reading is that I don't retain stuff. I could read a boatload of classics, and if I didn't have to read them for an immediate discussion, I wouldn't remember them well enough to discuss them in detail even a week or two later. I retain the gist of the book, but not the detail.
 

prplchknz

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My main irritation with reading is that I don't retain stuff. I could read a boatload of classics, and if I didn't have to read them for an immediate discussion, I wouldn't remember them well enough to discuss them in detail even a week or two later. I retain the gist of the book, but not the detail.
I have that same problem.
 

Little Linguist

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I'm always reading, still--but these days I do most of it online.

I like to read, but reading an actual book takes SO much of my focus that I rarely do it. When I read a good book, and good books are the only ones I have any patience for at ALL, that's what I'm going to be doing obsessively and without taking a break, until it's completely finished. I consume books when I read them. So I don't read as much these days. Too much else I'd rather do. I read a lot in captive places, though. When I'm traveling, I'm all about reading. And when I lived in New York and rode the subway all the time, I read a ton of books.

My main irritation with reading is that I don't retain stuff. I could read a boatload of classics, and if I didn't have to read them for an immediate discussion, I wouldn't remember them well enough to discuss them in detail even a week or two later. I retain the gist of the book, but not the detail.

Exactly. And that's the frustrating element. It's like, you spend so much time doing something - for what? I tend to retain things I use, will need to use, or just fascinate me. Using up all your concentration for something you'll only retain just the general gist of seems like such an inefficient waste of energy, particularly when you don't need it. However, I read a lot in the context of work - retain it, use it, and learn quite a bit. (Or for translating, for example)...
 
S

Sniffles

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I hardly watch movies or TV anymore. The older I get, the more I spend my time reading.
 

Colors

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It's harder to find time to read, Little Linguist! At least that's my problem.

Plus reading gets sort of lonely. I like to discuss what I get out of something with someone and it's easier to find people to discuss TV shows with than books.
 

heart

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I prefer to read.

When I was in college was the only time when I preferred watching movies over reading.
 

Falcarius

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Not so long ago, Falcarius was reading the messages on the homepage when one logs on to Facebook; the one where all the status messages, quizzes, and videos on post show up. When he read one of the administrators from this forum had fill out a some quiz or something about what films they had seem. The member of the administration team from this forum had like seen 85% films listed as they had seen. Falcarius sent a reply saying something along the lines as he had only seen about seven or so out of like a hundred films, and had never heard of half of them. stick. By the certain person's response they seemed to think Falcarius was mocking them.
falcsi12ii0.jpg
:alttongue: @ :pornstar:

Falcarius does not really like films, so much so he hates being 'forced' to go to the cinema, and only owns two films on DVD and neither of them he bought, whereas he has bookcases of books. He thinks the main reason why is because he finds books more abstract, and hence make imagination paramount. Falcarius prefers using his imagination.

Falcarius only really watches films he liked when he was a kid, and even then it is for sentimental reasons.
 

LucrativeSid

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Movies for me are often just shallow and temporary entertainment. Occasionally I see movies that are really good and I may watch them a few times, but in general, they are a huge waste of time.

Books, on the other hand, usually offer 20 times more than movies do, and I remember them better and think about them for a lot longer. I have a good memory, so I can remember movies pretty well too, but not nearly as well as I remember books.

I like both. Both have their place. Books stimulate my mind more and leave a larger impact overall, but movies, with visual action and music, evoke more emotions, even if they are short-lived.

I read more than I used to, but I've always read books and watched movies and that hasn't changed much.
 

porous_shield

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I used to watch a lot of movies but now I can't really get into them anymore. LucrativeSid seems to have hit the nail on the head for me
Movies for me are often just shallow
Movies, unless very well crafted, fail to bring together good characterization, plot, and action mostly because of time constraints (actors, budget, and certain directors doesn't help) that books, and even television shows, do not have trouble with for obvious reasons. I think movies just have more ways they can go wrong compared to a book.

I like books over movies because I prefer my imagination to someones elses.
 

cheerful-pessimist

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I get the feeling that most people lose time when they get older, and watching a movie provides quick entertainment while consuming less time. Time restrictions and conflicting interest that took priority are two reasons why many of my friends stopped reading regularly.
 

Kingfisher

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i like movies for all the visual data and visual information. that is something that books don't have.
but i like books because i can visually interpret them my own way!
i like both, they are both very good at what they do.
 
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