Most of us spend our time watching videos rather than reading a book. Videos are easy to consume, simply press play. You can watch a video passively while using a separate device to scroll through social media (I do this often).
Listening to a podcast is also more accessible than reading a book. You can’t run on a treadmill while reading an 800-pager (you can try but, I wouldn’t recommend it).
Reading takes focus and deliberate attention. You have to set aside time to effectively digest what you’re reading. While reading, distractions can easily enter your mind because the letters on the page aren’t providing captivating visuals or audio. Yet, a book’s true value will always be the access it provides.
Even if it is one page a day, reading should be an essential part of your daily schedule. Regardless of whether you are reading fiction or non-fiction, a mystery or a memoir, or even a blog for that matter—reading gives your mind a chance to grow. Your imagination is ignited when you read. There is a reason that most successful people read regularly. Reading gives you exposure to new ideas.
The internet can provide you with new ideas too but, reading will give those ideas a chance to actually be adopted into your life. It is one thing to watch three to five Youtube videos on marketing basics but, reading a book about marketing will help you see nuances that may be overlooked in a short video.
Additionally, you will think about the ideas you are discovering even after you put the book down. Ideas you get while reading become important to you. And books make for the best type of present, especially when gifted to someone who wants to improve themselves.
When is the last time you sent a Youtube video to someone as “a gift?” Did they thank you for it? Did it change their lives?