With technology fast evolving, the future of traditional print is continuously being challenged.
Considering a large percentage of the public admit to indulging in television programmes, rather than a hard-back, and the swift development of social media, it seems that the prospect of old-fashioned reading is rapidly vanishing.
As well as the fact that the general public are seemingly more prone to ‘liking’ something on Facebook, or ‘tweeting’ random thoughts, technology is at the heart of research and information; newspapers are fast being replaced by online news feeds and teletext.
With the development of technology, the public are steadily becoming lazier. People want fast results, accessibility and immediacy, which is exactly what digital media can provide.
Digital media has many advantages, the main pro being that it is environmentally friendly. The rainforests will continue to be destroyed for various other products, but at least we can save a few trees with the downfall of books being used, and with technology constantly up-dating, accuracy is also an advantage. Sites like Google and IMDB are excellent examples of this, where information is steadily processed and provided to people worldwide. We may mock the elder generation, but it's no wonder they find it difficult to keep up; the development of technology in such a short space of time is fascinating.
Having said that, as a recent Graduate, although guilty of the odd ‘cheating’ when it came to research, i.e. ‘googling’ information (Google has become such a success that apparently it is acceptable to use as a verb) I remember spending hours in the library with books, with many students alike. The reason for this was ultimately for my Bibliography; tutors were considerably unimpressed with my 1st year submission, containing a Bibliography that held a long list of internet sites and quotes, and I quickly learnt that my research had to consist of print and hard-backs. This raises a valid point; as long as the world continues to rely on professors, lecturers and scientists as sources of information, the prestige of books will remain and the idea of internet research will continue to seem amateur in comparison.
The fact remains, however, that print will soon be a thing of the past. Soon, newspapers and books will be a memory and it will be our generation that will be mocked by our off-spring for failing to keep up.
I was recently bought a Kindle, and I honestly have no idea what to with it. Apparently I’m supposed to download books on it?! I can understand the convenience of having various books on a device, but to me it steals the beauty of reading. I’m the kind of girl that likes to search out a good book in Oxfam or Waterstones, or waste time between meetings, reading in coffee shops.
And at least with a book, you haven't got to worry about the battery life. Anybody who has seen somebody with a Macbook in Starbucks, whose battery has just died, will appreciate the point I make about the inconvenience of using a Kindle or whatever other device they are no doubt thinking up at this very moment.
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