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?
Technology has put an earth-shattering impact on our lives in all feasible ways. It has also altered the reading habits and preferences of people due to the advent of e-books and e-newspapers. It is believed that in the impending times, people will completely stop buying printed material to read as they will opt for free of cost corpus online. This essay is in disagreement with the above-given idea.
To begin with, although in the forthcoming technophilic times more people will prefer to read books and news electronically, there will still be a significant proportion of subscribers willing to purchase and read the physical versions of the material. It is because not everyone will be able to buy smartphones or other devices like iPads due to financial limitations as well as because of the lack of availability of such gadgets in remote or underdeveloped areas. Furthermore, traditional reading books are being read since time immemorial and masses who are fond of reading get a sense of satisfaction and relaxation while holding a book and flipping its pages as they believe that real essence of reading lies in going through the physical books only. It has also been scientifically proven that reading before bed-time induces sleep.
Further reinforcing, prolonged exposure of eyes to screen is not good for humans psychologically as it causes strain which makes the online reading experience unpleasant. It also weakens the eyesight and increases the risks of other health disorders such as obesity and sleep deprivation. Many people such as the illiterate or the old aged are not well-versed with handling e-reading devices or accessing the internet for finding news to read. Moreover, a print newspaper is reliable, everlasting and unchanging unlike news on websites. Last but the not the least, a recent study of young children between three to five years revealed that they had lower comprehension of the story when their parents read to them from virtual books as opposed to printed ones. This happens because they get distracted by e-devices and have a harder time focusing on the story itself.
To sum up, despite the several benefits of digital books such as its eco-friendly nature and portability, a considerable population will still continue to savour and use hardbound books and newspapers because of their numerous charms.
Vocabulary:
earth-shattering: very surprising
impending: something bad is going to happen
corpus: written material
technophilic: interest in the latest technology
underdeveloped: less developed areas
immemorial: existing since a long time ago
essence: most important thing
induces: causing something to happen
reinforce: a strong argument
prolonged: a long time
well-versed: having a vast amount of knowledge
everlasting: happens for a long time
comprehension: understanding while reading
savour: enjoy
hardbound: having a hardback cover of a book or notebook
