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In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Information is easily accessible online, and this has led to people claiming that in the future, there will no longer be a demand for the printed word in the form of books and newspapers. While these will probably become less popular, I do not fully believe that they will completely disappear and some demand for them shall still exist. The various reasons as to why this statement is not fully acceptable will be provided throughout this essay.
There is certainly strength to the argument that people may cease to purchase the printed word and instead rely on reading such information online. Convenience is often a driving force of human behavior and is applicable in this case. Students who are studying at university have to consult many textbooks which are filled with many pages of technical details, making them very bulky. It is far less strenuous to have all those textbooks available on one device with additional functions like being able to search for particular words. Not only students, but also people who read for pleasure will likely take advantage of this new style of reading. They are able to easily enjoy a book on their daily commute to work. The up-to-date news is probably the main reason why people turn away from printed media. Newspapers had to be written the night before and are actually a day or two behind what is going on in the world, and therefore people are far more interested in live updates on their electronic devices to keep them informed. This is especially important for people who need current information about constantly changing aspects like stocks and shares.
Despite the convenience and more up to date knowledge, it is unlikely that people will completely stop reading printed books and papers. It is often forgotten that the internet is a luxury and not available to a lot of people in the world. Those people, will, most probably continue to derive pleasure from printed books and be informed of the news through newspapers. There is the likelihood that the older generation will also continue to purchase printed books and papers because it is what they are used to doing and they are not as comfortable with technology as the younger generation is. The rising concern about the reliability of information online could arguably be another reason why people will continue to buy printed copies. There are a lot of fake news stories circulating around social media sites and it is difficult for people to determine which are factually correct. Due to this uncertainty, many of them decide to revert to printed news as they have a stronger faith in its authenticity.
In conclusion, even though there will most likely be a drop in demand for printed documents, it is not fair to say that they will not be bought at all. There might be a day when all the world has access to the internet and all trust it implicitly, but that is unlikely to happen for a long time.