With technologies developing at an unprecedented pace, electronic devices and the internet are becoming an integral part of our lives. There is an opinion that since any type of content will be available online for free, people will stop purchasing printed books and newspapers. However, I completely disagree with this view for two reasons.
First, reading online provides an inferior experience compared to reading from paper. Since the majority of people rely on several senses when they perceive information, they will always need the touch and smell of paper, which online resources do not possess. Additionally, increased screen time is bound to lead to eye strain and declining eyesight. Relying on reading online alone will therefore subtract from the cognitive experience and result in considerable discomfort, which will cause people to spend money on printed materials even when the same materials are available at no cost.
Second, no information will be shared for free online in the future. Publishing companies and news outlets, as well as independent authors, will pursue profits and seek to be paid for the job they do. Due to this, they will only distribute their work through paid subscriptions and press charges against resources that distribute content illegally. People will thus have to pay for reading the content they want, regardless of the medium.
To conclude, I believe people will continue buying paper books and newspapers as reading from a screen will be deemed inconvenient, and having access to any content online without being charged is not feasible. The former will lead to people being willing to pay for a better experience, while the latter will be caused by publishers and authors making sure that content is not available for free.