Declining Usage of Books (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

DECLINING USAGE OF BOOKS
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Declining Usage of Books
Some people think that books are losing relevance as a source of entertainment and information; I largely agree with their observation. For centuries, people have relied heavily on books and other forms of written literature for entertainment and to learn new ideas. The information sharing process has undergone many transitions and disruptions over the centuries. Initially, information was shared solely through word of mouth in the form of traditions and stories. It was also shared through practice and specifically through apprenticeship. The invention of literature disrupted the early forms of education because people began to learn new ideas from written texts. Indeed, some of the most common texts that have existed for many centuries revolve around religion. People wrote on stone tablets, used primitive languages and sometimes made drawings on the walls of the caves they lived in. As time progressed, people began to learn how to interpret writings and communicate through it. With many years of refinement and language development, books and formal education were invented. Currently, the world is in another transition period that will reduce the usage of books to a significant extent. Already, the print media industry has been significantly affected by new developments. Usage of books is likely to also decline because it relies on a similar business model as print media. Although people still use e-books, there are easier ways of getting the information in books nowadays instead of reading. People have used books and will continue using books for a considerable period into the future as the transition process goes on. However, the rate of usage will continue to decline as better substitutes of knowledge and entertainment delivery emerge. The usage of books is declining because people have better ways of getting the information they need, and getting entertained.
People have traditionally used books for educational purposes. For centuries, books have been a store of knowledge and many academic visionaries have shared their invaluable knowledge through books. Indeed, the entire education system in the current time is already heavily reliant on books in both soft copy and hard copy. Students are expected to read the text books, which serve as a complimentary learning tool to what the tutors teach. The books contain exercises, examples and descriptions which help students achieve educational objectives. Initially, people used to rely only on hard copy books. However, there was a rapid advancement in technology and after the invention of the personal computer, people began digitizing the books. Today, almost all books have digital versions. Digital versions became popular because they could be transferred easily online and took up significantly less space. Indeed, most universities and colleges have access to online libraries with thousands of books which students can choose from. As technology improved, other means of communication arose. Today, books are still the primary means through which students gain knowledge after learning from tutors. However, scholars currently have other better methods of acquiring the knowledge without necessarily having to read the books in their entirety. As a result, books are more often used as reference points. In subjects such as mathematics, many students prefer to identify a topic in a textbook, and then learn about the topic on YouTube or any other online tutorial service. Online tutorials are superior to books because they offer the student better insight and account for the short attention span that most people have. Studying can be a challenging process when one uses books only especially in technical disciplines. However, using online tutorials, students can grasp concepts better without using too much time. The rise of online tutoring, recording of lectures in both video and audio formats has made learning easier for students.
People no longer read novels and story books as much as they used to in the past. In the past, the only way that storytellers and creative writers would communicate to their audience is through word of mouth and books. New methods of communication emerged which slowly posed a challenge to using books for entertainment purposes. Today, people still read books for entertainment reasons but at a reducing rate. The main reason for the decline in the use of books for entertainment is the rise of superior forms of entertainment that are visual and sometimes experiential. In the past, people would read a novel and then imagine the characters in the story. The film industry emerged and caused a massive shift from using books for entertainment reasons and instead viewing the same story on film. Films are better forms of entertainment because they tell an entire story in a few hours while it would take one days or weeks to complete reading a novel. People are hard pressed for time in an increasingly busy world and therefore, they seek to maximize on the few hours of entertainment that they have every week. Watching also eliminates the imagination aspect of a story making it easier for the viewers to understand the storyline. Most importantly, film is more exciting to watch compared to reading a book. The usage of books for entertainment purposes has also declined due to the rise of other forms of entertainment. People who would have chosen to read a novel in the past have numerous hobbies to choose from today such as online gaming, entertainment on virtual reality devices and many more. The usage of books for entertainment reasons will continue to decline due to their restrictive nature which leaves most details to the reader’s imagination. Nowadays, people seek more experiential forms of entertainment where they can achieve partial or full immersion through virtual reality. In future, people will view books as an archaic source of entertainment. Currently, the world is in a transition period from print to forms of entertainment where full immersion is possible as technology develops.
There are some people who still view books as a relevant source of information and entertainment. Currently, most educational material all over the world is in the form of text books. Most tutors rely heavily on text books in their day to day line of work. Books have proved to be an extremely reliable source of information and entertainment for centuries. Indeed, most of the top academics in the world today gained their knowledge from books. When technology advanced and the personal computer was invented, the software professionals still found a way of ensuring the survivorship of books in the form of soft-copy versions that are easily transferable, sharable, and occupy significantly less space. Most institutions have repositories for books and access to online libraries and this has served students well for many years. In addition, there are even audio versions of books nowadays to keep up with the rapidly changing technology and give students an easier time when learning. From an educational standpoint, books are still a critical means of sharing knowledge because they are the preferred method by authors and publishers. Each year, millions of copies in hard cover, softcopy and audio versions of text books are sold.