Why Reading Doesn't Suck

On the opposite side of the "medium is the message" spectrum is the written word. Reading has all sorts of cognitive benefits and it’s likely due to the nature of the medium itself.

For example, reading this takes mental effort. Unlike TV, the second you stop trying, it stops delivering. The concepts must be interpreted and then formulated and visualized within your mind. If I start writing about a confused donkey that continually tries to make love to a leaky fire hydrant, your mind sets to work constructing this fucked up scene in your head.