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文/李中屿

Reading story books is better for children than watching television or playing computer games. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Bedtime stories, usually memorable fairytalesaccompanying baby boys and girls,seem to be the most primary reading materialsfor them. With the popularity of television programs and computer games, however, parents are prone toregard these so-called modern ways of entertainmentas substitutes for story books. Althoughbeautifully coloured pictures in these electronic devicesare more appealingto juveniles, the role story books playing cannot be underestimated.

It is acknowledged that the contents instory books arespecifically designed for children in comparison with the random materials on the television. Since television and Internet are accessible almost everywhere, it seems extremely difficult to have a censorship on these uploaded stuffs, especially sexual and violent contents. Books, on the other hand, save the trouble for its precautions against indecentand barbarous materials. Besides, the book is an indispensable tutor for children’s acquiring of language skills. Necessary words and expression are usually arranged appropriately in those books, ensuringreliable sources of knowledge. 

Moreover, potential merits of story books are beyond the physical level.When children read a book, possibilities of depicting vivid pictures with their imagination are available , which nevertheless hardly can be achieved with already-madeTV series or games. To a further extent, children are able to have an unusual butrewardingexperience, which cannot be gainedpersonally because of the limitation of time and space,following the description of the author.

It is true that children are also likely to be enthralled byTV, especially skillfully edited educational programs,andcompetitive computer games which basically developsuchabilitiesas problem-solving and decision-making. Butthese relativeadvantagesare far from enough to conceal theirdrawbacksand it is worth noticing that thebook playa more important role in the cultivation of children’sdiction, reasoning and philosophyrather than simple story-telling.

Personally, recommendable as utilizing multimedias like TV and computer are, their defects still remain. Whereas, developinga good reading habit will greatly benefit children in a long run.