Thursday 11 December 2014

Essay 56 (Relevance of the print media)

More and more people are using computers and other forms of gadgets for reading information.  Therefore there is no need to print books, magazines and newspapers on paper.  Do you agree or disagree?
An increasing number of people depend on modern electronic gadgets to gather information and the relevance of the printed media is often questioned today.  However, I am convinced that printed books, magazines and newspapers will continue to attract people for a number of reasons.
Firstly, despite many improvements in technology, reading information on electronic gadjets is still physically stessful.  Therefore, even people who like the convenience of electronic readers or computers prefer printed books or magazines for serious or long reading.  For example, students and researchers often experience problems like headaches and strain in the eye, when they engaage in prolonged reading on electronic devices.  This clearly indicates that printed reading materials will continue to be used by many people in the future.
Secondly, many popular books and magazines will not be published electronically, because publishers fear that they can be pirated easily.  For instance, people download unathorised copies of ebooks through various torrent sites, and it is a huge revenue loss for publishers.  The non-availbility of ebook versions of many popular books and magazines would force readers to depend on printed aleternatives.
Finally, reading a printed material is part of the daily routine of majority of people over a long period of time and it is not easy to break that habit easily.  Moreover, even today a large number of young people are also acquiring such behaviours.  For example, most men in my home state, Kerala, India have the habit of reading the printed newspaper along with their morning coffee.  We have not witnessed a major decrease in this practice in the recent times.
In summary, despite the growing popularity of electronic reading devices and materials, the printed media still remain relevant for a variety of reasons.  Therefore, printed books, magzines and newspapers will continue to attract people for a long period of time.

Collocations

information:
collect/gather/access - information
disclose/exchange/impart/provide/supply - information

habit:
acquire/develop/fall into/form/get into - a habit
break(yourself of)/get out of/ give up/kick - a habit

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