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Growing Up in a World of Technology |
Have Books Lost Their Value?
on September 18, 2009
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We will be a much lesser society if books go the way of typewriters. Not only do books teach, inspire and inform us, but they also provide us the opportunity...
We will be a much lesser society if books go the way of typewriters. Not only do books teach, inspire and inform us, but they also provide us the opportunity to use our own imaginations. For instance, if you see the Harry Potter films, you're "seeing" Harry and all the characters and environs the way a screenwriter, set director, costume designer and director envisioned them. Just reading the books, your own mind creates all of those factors. You're seeing someone else's spin on it, instead of creating your own.
As someone who admittedly spends a lot of time online, I still don't think there's anything quite like a (paper) newspaper and a cup of coffee; or a book in my hands. We're just not reading things in the same manner when they're on a screen.
on Sep 22, 2009
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The new era of technology has brought about many benefits and improvements to different aspects of society. But has it begun to replace old traditions? For example, books have been around for thousands of years and were once the main source for mass communication. Now, they are becoming replaced by entertainment such as movies and the Internet. These novels spread the philosophies, stories, opinions and knowledge of the world. Connections with various cultures and people from around the world happen through books. New contenders such as the Internet and technology offer faster, quicker and more efficient tools to share and spread information around the world.
Books are gradually being pushed off the scene because they can be read on the Internet and some people prefer blogging to writing literature. The Internet’s speed is very attractive to many people and it allows room for multitasking. If someone was reading a story on the Internet, they could also check e-mail and listen to music at the same time. Access to a high volume of books has become more convenient with the Internet because people can read multiple books online for free, instead of buying books one at a time. These benefits are causing people to ditch print and search the Web for literature.
Another aspect of technology that is replacing books is movies. Many hit movies were first books. Famous movies such as "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" were originally books. People are leaving the lines of bookstores and libraries and hoping into the lines at the movies. It is much easier and more convenient to watch a two-hour flick compared to reading a 700-page book. I am guilty of not reading the "Harry Potter" series because I’ve already seen the movies. However, I know that reading the books can still be rewarding. Since movies often leave out important pieces of the plot, books offer a more in depth and enriching story. Having a contrast between the visual and literary works is one of the best entertainment experiences.
Since the origin of books stretches back thousand of years, people are able to connect with the faded past. Those words never die. People from all around the world are able to share their thoughts and have a chance at making them immortalized. Even though technology is offering easier and less time consuming ways for people to hear and read words, books will always be around and have value in the world. People cannot replace the original influence and power that books have offered for so many years. No matter how technology advances, people will always stick to their bookworm roots and treasure the value of books.
Shaylyn Grow
Senior
Empire High School
You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to
http://www.convergemag.com/blog/students/Books-Lost-Value.html
Comments
on Sep 22, 2009
We will be a much lesser society if books go the way of typewriters. Not only do books teach, inspire and inform us, but they also provide us the opportunity to use our own imaginations. For instance, if you see the Harry Potter films, you're "seeing" Harry and all the characters and environs the way a screenwriter, set director, costume designer and director envisioned them. Just reading the books, your own mind creates all of those factors. You're seeing someone else's spin on it, instead of creating your own.
As someone who admittedly spends a lot of time online, I still don't think there's anything quite like a (paper) newspaper and a cup of coffee; or a book in my hands. We're just not reading things in the same manner when they're on a screen.
on Sep 22, 2009
Great post. One correction though. In the case of Star Wars the film was first. There was a screenplay floating around but not a book. Spot on with the others. You might include Spiderwick Chronicles to this list.
on Sep 22, 2009
The word you want is "hopping" instead of "hoping into the lines"
;-)
on Sep 23, 2009
Your article is interesting. However what is more interesting is your use of the word "free" in regards to books. Maybe multimedia is having its new moments and will continue to fill voids in efficiency,and advertising and creating buzz, but heaven help us when we replace professionalism with wikipedia or google, "Interesting growth, wait one moment while I google and blog that.". I still like to know that my doctor actually read peer reviewed journals and literature which are becoming more digital these days... but free..???
on Sep 23, 2009
I also like to read the newspaper with a cup of coffee, enjoy the occasional novel, or enjoy a great coffee book I picked up from Barnes and Noble; however, letâs be careful to not to ascribe to much reverence to one medium of communication. Books are slowly but surely being replaced in school and college settings by online content (book is an antiquated term), video, simulations, etc. These new media types have many advantages of rapid access, interactive functionality, etc. Books are just one method of communication that have had a good run, but so did the scroll (check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ âMedieval Helpdeskâ on YouTube). In my opinion people should focus more on information and communication literacy, comprehension, evaluation, knowledge acquisition and application (rather than one media type). Increasingly people are relying less on books for information and turning to the web, video, audio books, interactive simulations, etc. I enjoy reading books to my three year old grandson, or reading a book for pleasure; however, the ways we create, find, and use knowledge are changing. I spend just as much time with my grandson at websites like Disney, or listening to audio books on my iPod while traveling. And, donât even get me started on the inconvenience and cost of college textbooks (I have two kids in college).
on Sep 23, 2009
Books offer a low energy form of information display. The art of manuscript selection and book layout will only move to a higher level under the stress of competition. The financial venture and editorial effort of a quality book refine the information better than the electronic environment. Books will last.
