Reading is often considered better than watching Netflix because it's an active mental exercise that builds imagination, vocabulary, focus, and empathy, unlike Netflix's more passive consumption, which can be less stimulating, though both offer escape and stress relief, with reading providing deeper character insight and detailed world-building. Reading enhances cognitive skills by making you visualize worlds and understand complex thoughts, while TV spoon-feeds visuals, making books a richer workout for your brain.
In a study at the University of Sussex, the study found that individuals who read for just six minutes could benefit from less stress. We use our imagination and engage more of our mind, rather than passively engaging in the media.
Both are good, but depends on what you do with them. Watching good television series or films on Netflix can be very educational as well, reading books is amazing and you read and imagine as much as you can and get more info. I would say both are good in their own way.
With many successful people connecting reading to their good fortune, here are five reasons to pick up a book today.
For adults, reading is typically more beneficial due to their advanced literacy and self-regulation skills, but videos can be a valuable supplement. For children, reading on paper supports better comprehension and vocabulary development, though interactive videos can effectively engage and motivate them.
It enhances focus, concentration, and memory.
Compared to watching videos, children use only sight and are less likely to be distracted when truly interested. Aside from concentration, reading also enhances their memory: they retain long-term knowledge better when reading in print.
The romance in this book is incredibly sweet. There's fake dating vibes and the constant rivalry between the characters definitely gives off some fun enemies-to-lovers vibes, too. The chemistry between Liz and Wes jumps off the pages and is so satisfying! There's also heartwarming and tender moments in this book.
Research in psychology has suggested that reading fiction can improve individuals' social-cognitive abilities. Findings from neuroscience show that reading and social cognition both recruit the default network, a network which is known to support our capacity to simulate hypothetical scenes, spaces and mental states.
In accordance with our commitment to deliver reading programs based on research-based instructional strategies, Read Naturally's programs develop and support the five (5) components of reading identified by the National Reading Panel—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
The Netflix 2-minute rule refers to the fact that if a user watches more than two minutes of a TV show or movie, this is counted as a view.
A 2024 meta-analysis of 49 studies found that students who read on paper consistently scored higher on comprehension tests than those who read the same material on screens. Researchers call this the “screen inferiority effect”—meaning that digital reading leads to lower information retention and understanding.
Netflix is often people's go-to streaming service for watching TV shows and movies. Even with price increases and tough competition from services like Prime Video, Hulu and Disney Plus, Netflix still stands out as the ultimate option for streaming entertainment, because of its vast selection and user-friendly layout.
They found that participants who read books for 30 minutes or more a day lived an average of 23 months longer than non-readers—even after adjusting for variables like age, gender, education, and health. Interestingly, this life-extending benefit wasn't as strong in those who only read newspapers or magazines.
Reading has beneficial visual effects for our eyes.
As long as you observe the 20/20/20 rule to help avoid eye strain, these exercises can possibly improve coordination and performance over time. In addition, reading can offer our eyes a much-needed break from the constant exposure to digital screens.
Books are better than television, the internet, or the computer for educating and maintaining freedom. Books matter because they state ideas and then attempt to thoroughly prove them. They have an advantage precisely because they slow down the process, allowing the reader to internalize, respond, react and transform.
About 75% of your brain is water, making hydration crucial for sharp thinking, focus, and mood, as even mild dehydration (losing 2% of body water) can impair memory, concentration, and reaction time. The remaining part of the brain is mostly fat, and this water content is essential for creating neurotransmitters and supporting brain function.
There's no single "must-read" list, but classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, 1984, The Great Gatsby, and The Diary of a Young Girl consistently appear, alongside fantasy epics like The Lord of the Rings, foundational sci-fi like Dune, powerful dramas like The Color Purple, and influential works like Don Quixote, offering deep dives into human nature, society, and imagination.
10 benefits of reading
According to Guinness World Records, the Bible is the best-selling book of all time with an estimated 6 billion copies sold and distributed as of 1995. Sales estimates for other printed religious texts include at least 800 million copies for the Qur'an and 200 million copies for the Book of Mormon.
To improve students' reading comprehension, teachers should introduce the seven cognitive strategies of effective readers: activating, inferring, monitoring-clarifying, questioning, searching-selecting, summarizing, and visualizing-organizing.
The link between reading and success is thought to be driven by the desire for knowledge. Reading makes us better thinkers by improving our critical thinking and problem-solving skills, boosting our general and specific knowledge and developing our social and communication skills.
Studies show that reading is actually beneficial for the brain. While watching TV and looking at other screens can reduce sleep and increase stress, reading does the opposite. Getting adequate sleep and reducing stress are huge factors in mental health.
Video is processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text says Psychology Today. It's easier to interact with, bypasses your cognitive mind and drives straight to your emotions, and both favors and encourages lazy thinking. Reading on the other hand is interactive.