Will the Internet Ever Replace the Book as the Main Source of Information - Essay Example

oaf "Will modern technology, such as the Internet, ever replace the book or the written word as the main source of information?” The development of technology has changed human life drastically. Many of the traditional methods and life principles were given way for entirely new methods and new life principles. We are living in a digital world now; a world in which computers and internet control our life in many ways. In fact internet has revolutionized human life immensely. Internet provides information at finger tips. Earlier people relied heavily on the published sources such as books, magazines, periodicals newspapers etc for knowing more information. Today, instead of published sources or the written words, people are depending electronic data for collecting information or knowledge. Many people believe that internet may replace books in future whereas many others are of the view that books may succeed in retaining its importance. Internet has many advantages over published sources or books. It is easy to access any information from internet. Using key words we can locate any information on internet. “One of the most important advantages of the computer over print media is hypertext. Hypertext binds related documents together on a computer or network. With hypertext, highlighted text in a document represents a reference to another document” (Tashian). In other words, it is easy for the reader to know more about a particular topic while surfing in the internet using the option of hypertext. Clicking on the hypertext link will lead the reader towards that particular topic. On the other hand, locating particular information in books is not an easy task. The reader or the researcher needs to read the entire book for collecting the information he wanted. Moreover, if he wanted know more about a particular topic dealt in the book, he needs to purchase another book for that. Printed documents can be damaged over a period of time. It is difficult to keep the books or printed documents safely for more than 50 to 60 years because of the natural decay occurs to the papers. Paper has certain life and beyond that it may starts to decay. Moreover climate changes and natural calamities can damage books or written information. On the other hand, electronic sources or internet are comparatively safer than printed sources. It is easy to save electronic or internet data on hard disks, CD’s or any other electronic storage devices for a longer period. Changes in weather or the decay problems may not affect the information on internet. A reader can increase or decrease the font size so that he can conveniently go through the internet information. On the other hand, such facilities are not there while accessing written information. It is impossible to make the written data bigger or smaller. One of the major disadvantages of internet information is the lack of authenticity. Anybody with some basic knowledge in computers and internet can publish his opinions and knowledge in internet. The readers may not get much idea about the credibility of the author. On the other hand, no such worries are there while accessing information from a book. The author name and his affiliations or qualifications will be there in the books so that the reader can decide whether to depend or not that book for collecting information. To conclude, internet may increase its popularity further and further because of its immense advantage over books in convenient accessing and saving information for longer periods. However, the credibility of information from books can never be claimed by internet. In short, books may retain its importance up to certain extent even though internet has upper hand. "Advertising: is it information or manipulation? Advertising is the business strategy adopted by business people to promote their products or services. Since all the non-charitable organizations are working for profits, the intentions of advertising are to increase the selling as much as possible. Ethics and morality has less importance in business world at present because of the stiffer competition. Under such circumstances, business people often go to any extent in convincing the consumers through advertisements. Since advertisement is the channel which helps product manufacturers or service providers to bring the consumers closer to their products or services, most of the advertisements may consists of exaggerated claims rather than facts. In other words, most of the advertisements are manipulations rather than providing information about a particular product or service. Many of the car manufacturers often offer high fuel efficiency and better performances to their vehicles. A person who purchased a particular car after seeing such advertisement may not get the same fuel efficiency or performance from his vehicle as advertised. Same way, product manufacturers often use the endorsement from celebrities to promote their product. The over influence of celebrity culture, will force the public to purchase a product which is promoted by his heartthrob. Facts have not much importance in advertising whereas fiction always the core concepts of advertisement. Even dangerous goods were promoted in unethical or unacceptable manner. Good Knight, a mosquito repellant is promoted in India with the help of Bollywood celebrity or actress Vidya Balan. People forget the fact that mosquito repellents consist of poisonous materials while seeing such advertisements. In the above advertisement, Vidya Balan claims that “Goodknight Naturals mosquito repellent cream has unbelievable properties which make her skin feel safe whilst protecting her from mosquitoes during outdoor shoots” (Chawla). Poor people who entrust the words of Vidya Balan will purchase and use this product and will later realize the side effects of it. Even if they experience side effects of these products, they may feel that the reason could be something else rather than the product. They have such stronger beliefs in the words of their heartthrobs. Together with the meritorious intention of creating awareness and broadening the spectrum of choice to consumers on the availability of products suitable to meet their needs, there are gimmicks been used in advertisements. Most people are not aware of them, because they are prepared by clever artists, photographers, technicians and writers (Mwende) Lot of thoughts put behind while making an advertisement. In fact the contributions of psychologists, sociologists and the feed backs received from market are used in the making of advertisements. All the vital information gathered from the market help the advertisers to make advertisements targeting the weaknesses and the priorities of the consumers. Facts often give way for fiction or imagination while making ads for product and services. Rapid selling of the product or the service is the only motive behind most of the advertisements. Facts may not be attractive always which force the advertisers to give more colors and exaggeration to the facts. To conclude majority of the advertisements are controlled by manipulations rather than information or facts. Works Cited 1. Chawla,Renu. “Vidya Balan to Endorse GoodKnight Cream”. 2009. Web. 26 April 2011. 2. Mwende, Isaria K. “ADVERTISEMENTS: Manipulation of Innocent People”. 2005. Web. 26 April 2011. 3. Tashian, Carl. “Will Computers Replace the Book?”.1997. Web. 26 April 2011. Read More