Nowadays, I enjoy playing video games and watching good TV shows more than I ever have, even more than reading books. I’ve always liked those things, but never as much as I do now. Sometimes I wonder whether I’m wasting my time, and part of me answers, “Of course you are.” But when I think about it, the reasons I enjoy video games and certain TV shows are much the same as the reasons I used to read fiction voraciously. I like to study things. I like watching storylines develop, observing how characters interact with each other, seeing conflict arise. When I’m watching TV or playing my games, my mind is active, constantly thinking about what I’m seeing; I don’t like to zone out. I come away still thinking about whatever story I’ve seen, just as though I had read about it in a book.
So why does it seem like I’ve become a lazy, technologically dependant bum?
I think the answer lies in what I and the rest of our society have been told ever since video games were invented and television became so ingrained in our culture: “Too much TV and video games rots your brain. Reading is better for you.” Until now, I’ve always taken that statement as absolute truth. After all, when I see people around my own age who fail to clearly distinguish the media from real life, I understand why many people carry a negative view of these things. For those who allow it, it does rot their brains. It teaches them to stop thinking for themselves, to have every detail of a story thrown at them, or even worse- no storyline at all. If they let it. But books can do that as well, can’t they? There are plenty of brainless romance novels out there and forgettable, throwaway adventure novels with shallow plotlines and two-dimensional characters. But I would most likely receive a far different response from people if I told them I had spent hours watching TV or playing video games than if I told them I had spent hours reading a book. The first might alarm them or give them a less than positive opinion about the way I choose to spend my time, and the second might make them think about how wonderful it is to see a teenager today who still enjoys reading.
And here is my point: if taken with the same attitude and attention to detail as a serious reader would have for a good book, television shows and video games can have the same qualities. The human eye can take in more detail in a few seconds than pages and pages of writing could describe, so in the visual sense at least, there is more information being presented to the viewer through the TV than through the pages of a book. A well done show or game can portray intricate plot details or complicated relationships just as well as a book, and with the special effects that are available now, it can make it look so visually appealing—and sometimes so real—that even a person who rarely takes time to imagine much of anything might begin to wonder what it would be like to be a part of the story. So you might see how I, a person with a constantly active imagination, enjoy being able to physically see and hear stories that I love and that sometimes make me wish I had a part in them. Some people might argue that having the plot visually presented to the viewer leaves nothing to the imagination, but I thoroughly disagree. Being able to see the main storyline frees the viewer to wonder about what went on between each commercial break, episode, or level. From what I’ve observed, it seems like most people do not bother, but the opportunity is there and is easier to find than in books.
Another thing I have always loved about television shows, movies, and video games is the music. In some cases, the music can make or break the story it was composed to compliment. There have been several movies especially recently—the new Star Trek movie, for example—that are excellent stories with music that is forgettable and fails to add much of anything to the presentation. But I own many soundtracks of movies that accomplished their goal to use score that greatly enhances the story told. I listen to them frequently; some are even my favorite CDs in my entire music library.
As we move into another era of technological advances, I can hardly wait for the next development. Storytelling has been a crucial part of humanity since the beginning and has been changed forever by our technology. With the resources available to us now, we are able to not only see stories unfold before our eyes, but now we are able to interact with them through video games and virtual reality. The next step will likely be more interactive and just as controversial. You can be sure no one is looking forward to whatever comes next more than I.
