Books keep the readers’ minds active, as they constantly try to visualize the characters, settings, and events. Conversely, watching movies and series is a passive activity, because every detail is portrayed on the screen, and the viewer does not have to work to form mental images. This essay completely agrees with this statement.
On the one hand, reading novels is an active activity, because the readers are always working their imagination and creativity to bring the written words to life. Even if authors describe every detail of the story vividly, every reader will have their own imagination, affected by their personal experiences and thought. A Tale of Two Cities is a remarkable novel by Charles Dickens, where this is clearly shown, as every reader has visualized how the characters looked, how the Middle Ages London and Paris looked, and how events unfolded.
On the other hand, watching movies and television shows is passive, as the audience are just viewing how the directors imagined the story. They do not have to ponder how characters looked or how different settings were organized, because everything is readily available on screen. Movies played in the cinemas are stark examples of this, where people just go in for fun, and then everyone has the exact version of events, including all visuals and voices.
In summary, while both activities can be fun and enriching, reading books is superior to watching films if the goal is to foster imagination and creativity, because it allows readers to form their own images and voices of different characters and settings, a privilege not given to movie audiences, where all details are portrayed on the screen.