I think for serious readers the beach read — like every kind of read — is safe and secure. But for more marginal readers who are looking to entertain themselves and kill time, TV is a great option — same as YouTube on their phone. It’s probably a tossup: whichever is easier. But that’s where this question gets interesting. If there’s less TV being produced, it does give books a fighting chance, even for the marginal reader. The real competition will be between books and YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
I think for serious readers the beach read — like every kind of read — is safe and secure. But for more marginal readers who are looking to entertain themselves and kill time, TV is a great option — same as YouTube on their phone. It’s probably a tossup: whichever is easier. But that’s where this question gets interesting. If there’s less TV being produced, it does give books a fighting chance, even for the marginal reader. The real competition will be between books and YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.