History Main / BooksVsScreens

* This is the plot of the first half of the 108th episode of ''Anime/KamisamaMinaraiHimitsuNoCocotama'', where Geracho (a Cocotama born from the Yotsuba family's TV set) and Niche (a studious Cocotama who lives at the local library) enter an argument on whether television or books are better. Oshaki tries to end the disagreement by challenging Geracho and Niche to switch interests, which does succeed in getting the two to see the merits of each other's interests, but backfires in the end when [[PerspectiveReversal Niche becomes obsessed with organizing a schedule specifying which shows the Cocotamas will watch and for how long as well as Geracho's habit of making books stick out from their shelves by themselves puts him at risk of having his existence discovered by Kiyomi Nishina]].

* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'': This trope was one such theme of a European Splatfest, an important [[CargoCult religious]] celebration in Inkling culture that has players pick a side in a game of Turf War using paintball weaponry. As per tradition both hosts pick a side and argue their case using pros vs cons, with Pearl choosing film and Marina choosing book. Marina argues that books are better due to the limits being one’s own imagination, film adaptations never live up to the original, a person can read at their own pace, and one can fit time to read in between events such as gigs at the green room for her. Pearl argues that films are better due original adaptation haters are annoying which no film original adaptation has ever had, books are nothing but boring words on a page, films have sound as well as other cool special effects, and one schedules their own to watch a film(s) at home on their comfy couch with or without friends. Unusually for this trope their was a clear winner, with film winning 2-1 of the events, however one should be careful discussing this online as it was one of the Splatfests before the system was overhauled to not be so one-sided.

* Discussed in ''[[Series/DoctorWho Doctor Who's]]'' "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" two-parter, which takes place on a planet called The Library, a planet full of books and the biggest library in the universe. Despite taking place in the 51st Century with access to advanced technology, the Doctor says the need for physical books never goes away. ZigZagged, however, since the Doctor never calls other methods of learning and entertainment inferior, and he has to communicate with the library mainframe through robots and computer screens. [[spoiler: It also turns out the paper those books were printed on was carrying spores from a carnivorous lifeform that eventually hatched, forced the planet to be evacuated, and killed nearly everyone in the supporting cast by the end of the two-parter. So, perhaps physical books have their downsides.]]

* Discussed in ''[[Series/DoctorWho Doctor Who's]]'' "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" two-parter, which takes place on a planet called The Library, a planet full of books and the biggest library in the universe. Despite taking place in the 51st Century with access to advanced technology, the Doctor says the need for physical books never goes away. ZigZagged, however, since the Doctor never calls other methods of learning and entertainment inferior, and he has to communicate with the library mainframe through robots and computer screens. [[spoiler: It also turns out the paper those books were printed on was carrying spores from a carnivorous lifeform that eventually hatched, forced the planet to be evacuated, and killed nearly everyone in the supporting cast by the end of the two-parter. So, [[{{Understatement}} perhaps physical books have their downsides]].]]

* Averted in ''Literature/{{Fahrenheit 451}}''; Faber makes it clear that the meaningful entertainment found in books could conceivably be broadcasted on television or radio, but people are using those methods of entertainment as an excuse not to think.

It's totally possible to be a {{Bookworm}} and a gamer/TV fan/movie fan at the same time. You wouldn't know that from fiction, though. In fiction, there seems to be a persistent idea that if someone likes screen-based entertainment, they must hate reading or vice versa, and that one medium is far superior to the other.

There's also the notion that you can learn from books but not from TV -- despite the fact that there is much educational content in television such as documentaries and {{Edutainment Show}}s, and that some books do nothing but entertain. To be fair, however, a number of these works were written at a time when television was starting out, and comprised only entertainment.

* ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'': This trope was one such theme of a European Splatfest, an important [[CargoCult religious]] celebration in Inkling culture that has players pick a side and argue their case using pros vs cons, with Pearl choosing film and Marina choosing book. Marina argues that books are better due to the limits being one’s own imagination, film adaptations never live up to the original, a person can read at their own pace, and one can fit time to read in between events such as gigs at the green room for her. Pearl argues that films are better due original adaptation haters are annoying which no film original adaptation has ever had, books are nothing but boring words on a page, films have sound as well as other cool special effects, and one schedules their own to watch a film(s) at home on their comfy couch with or without friends. Unusually for this trope their was a clear winner, with film winning 2-1 of the events, however one should be careful discussing this online as it was one of the Splatfests before the system was overhauled to not be so one-sided.

!! Examples

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Strips]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film -- Live-Action]]

[[folder: Literature]]

** ''Dog Days'' features ''two'' examples. First is when Greg and Rowley watch a horror movie and Mrs. Heffley thinks it's because twelve-year-olds aren't reading enough and so starts a reading club (which she then captions the photo of with "The Reading is Fun Club says, 'no' to video games"), then later when the boys stay at a hotel without computers and TV, the Jeffersons suggest Greg read instead, which he thinks is ridiculous.

* Averted in ''Literature/{{Fahrenheit 451}}'' - Faber makes it clear that the meaningful entertainment found in books could conceivably be broadcasted on television or radio, but people are using those methods of entertainment as an excuse not to think.
* In ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'', the eponymous girl's parents love to watch TV and think that, since they have television, books are pointless. Meanwhile, all the bookworms-- Matilda, Miss Honey, and the librarian-- think ''television'' is pointless (Matilda even goes so far as to call the TV the "dreaded box").

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

[[folder: Music]]

[[folder: Poetry]]

[[folder: Theatre]]
* ''Theatre/{{Matilda}}'' not only has everyone either watch TV or read books with no one doing both, like in the book, but it turns out that the reason why Mr. Wormwood is so BookDumb is that he learnt everything he knows from the television-- this play seems to ignore educational shows.

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

See also NewMediaAreEvil. Sub-trope of FalseDichotomy.

** "Dog Days" features ''two'' examples. First is when Greg and Rowley watch a horror movie and Mrs. Heffley thinks it's because twelve-year-olds aren't reading enough and so starts a reading club (which she then captions the photo of with "The Reading is Fun Club says, 'no' to video games), then later when the boys stay at a hotel without computers and TV, the Jeffersons suggest Greg read instead, which he thinks is ridiculous.
** In "The Long Haul", Rodrick watches movie versions of books and does book reports on them, rather than reading the books. This causes him trouble when he's asked to read ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' but instead rents a wrestling movie called ''Lords of the Ring''.

It's totally possible to be a BookWorm and a gamer/TV fan/movie fan at the same time. You wouldn't know that from fiction, though. In fiction, there seems to be a persistent idea that if someone likes screen-based entertainment, they must hate reading or vice versa, and that one medium is far superior to the other.