Is reading comic books a boon or bane?

IN this current age and time, comic books aren’t the usual “wu xia” or the Marvel comics. We have really good quality reads.

Not only are they highly creative in their storyline, some of the graphics are in such fine detail that the phrase “A picture speaks a thousand words” cannot be more true than this.

For children who have learning issues, regardless of whether it is ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, asperger, austism, etc, and others who may be struggling to read, comic books never fail to enchant them with tales of scientific wonders, mind-boggling adventures and significant memorable historical facts and events.

They would have otherwise been left in their own little cocoon, totally oblivious of what is happening in a world they can’t grasp.

They might not be able to read well but they can create images in their mind with untold creativity and curiosity.

In the fast paced world our children are living in, they hardly have time to hear themselves speak. Much less having the time to finish a novel in a day or two.

Our children are so examination focused and result orientated that all the reading they do, comes from the reading of textbooks and revision materials.

Thus, comic books provide a certain relief that can help our children relax and process information in a different way.

If you have read Asterix, Tin Tin, Calvin & Hobbes, Survival series and the Treasure Hunting series, you will find that the level of English used is of quite high quality.

Much tougher than the level of English used in our UPSR examination. So, in a way, comic books can help to improve our children’s language skills too.

Another important factor to consider is that almost everyone reads comics nowadays. So reading comic books in a way does help children have a better rapport with their friends as they have common topics of discussion.

On top of that, sharing comic books among friends can seal their friendship for life.

Of course, too much of something can be addictive. Spending too much time reading novels or indulging too much time doing school revision work can be counterproductive.

Naturally, we need to make sure that our children are able to divide their time appropriately to ensure that books, comics or novels, can only be read when all tasks have been completed. Boon or bane? You decide.

KAREN LEE HUEY SHYAN

Shah Alam