The Future of the Printed Books in the Digital Age (Essay Sample)

THE FUTURE OF THE PRINTED BOOKS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
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The Future of the Printed Books in the Digital Age
Introduction
In the last few centuries, printed books have dramatically grown to the level of becoming a central part of the reading culture. The print media has been the main vehicle to hold and disseminate ideas, histories, and even stories. It has acted as the basis for study and contemplation due to the rich content of collected works of writers and other knowledgeable people in the progressive society. Printed books have also been the end point for entertainment and diversion as novels emerged and rose to higher levels of artistry and complexity. In this respect, printed books have been a good source of cultural heritage of readers throughout the globe. However, this entire heritage seems to be changing as electronic advancements take over the world of information storage and dissemination. Technological advancements and the subsequent rise of electronic media in the form of electronic devices have rendered printed media obsolete. However, in the view of the essence of the information contained in printed books, the shift into digital means of storing and disseminating ideas as opposed to printing them on paper does not really amount to substantial change since it is simply a shift in the manner of presentation. Thus, printed books still have a future in the digital era.
Future of Printed Books in the Digital Era
Embracing change is a great contributor towards the future of printed books. The rise of technological media does not mean an end to printed books. In fact, all that is changing is the mode of presentation of the information contained therein. After all, reading a book on digital devices is not very different from reading it from a printed form. Though different people may have different ideas on this, it might go further than this. When ideas and thoughts are depicted in digital modes, different other things become possible. The process affects the manner in which such information is accessed and shared among different users. Digital information can be active in the sense that it can direct users to related content thus, offering readers alternative sources of similar or related information. Information on digital platforms can also be shared simultaneously among users, delivering a parallel experience. All these effects of the digital era only affect the expectations, focus, and consumption of ideas that have been bound for long by written books.[Leah, Price. "Dead Again." The New York Times (2012): 16.] [Lloyd, Shepherd. "The death of books has been greatly exaggerated." The Guardian (2011): 3.]
Despite the dreadful threat of digital advancements, the printed form of books has not yet vanished. Just as the invention of writing did not replace orality, and the upcoming of the print media did not replace hand-writing, the digital era cannot bring to an end printed books. In this sense, printed books still remain as a form of artefact to illuminate the attitudes and values of the cultural setting in which they were created. The printed book still holds an important place in history and bringing it to an end is in itself bringing to an end history and the heritage attached to it. In order to understand the history of the society that invented printed books, it is highly essential that the digital age population first understands the printed books. In turn, if the society in the modern world can read printed materia...