MY TWO-PENCE OPINION ON ‘THE BENEFITS OF READING’ —A TED TALK VIDEO BY ELLA LEE

Reading is not only encouraged but highly recommended by experts; research has proven that it is
beneficial for the cognitive and emotional, linguistic and non-linguistic areas of the brain. (S. Kweldju,
2015)
The speaker in the video is a well-read young girl, Ella Lee, who passionately enumerates the benefits
of reading especially for students. Her various claims include several advantages for the youth: better
classroom grades, a change in one’s perspective, knowledge of various cultures and entertainment.
These are all quite factual and logical arguments that serve her speech well. It can definitely be
agreed that in any profession related to academia or even skills , a person who reads is likely to excel.
Furthermore, her references of books like Divergent and Hunger Games, and her claim that she is
inspired by their protagonists, is really relatable on a personal level. At one point, she narrates as
being “too groggy” due to excessive-night-time reading and her promises to self of “one more
chapter” mirrors my own student days. What a coincidence! The enthusiasm displayed by Ella is
noteworthy.

Having said that, the video borders on a didactic monotone after a while and seems like a textbook
attempt to lure students into the reading habit. A bit more of an impetus is needed in my opinion for
the purpose to be achieved. It could be made more intriguing by revealing a few book covers of
interesting books and roping in someone from the literary world to add credibility to the claim. If
editing is an option then maybe snippets of scenes of movies adapted from famous books could
engage the reader better.
All in all, any and every effort in the correct direction should be lauded so full marks to Ella for her
impassioned plea towards the case.