It is often argued that in the past the only possible way to have access to information and gain knowledge was through books while these days because of the advancement of technology such as the Internet people have more alternatives to obtain insight and knowledge. In this essay, some pros and cons of this notion will be discussed, and which one is heavier in my opinion.
On the one hand, in the past people used to gain knowledge through books and they used to scroll in public libraries to find out the plethora of information about specific topics while these days this process is completely different. This way has its positive points which will be discussed further. First and foremost is the various range of information that is possible through the Internet. In the past people just had access to restricted resources or on some occasions dated books which could not be fruitful for them. These days thanks to technology people have access to much up-to-date information even in unfamiliar fields. Obtaining information through books was time-consuming and people missed other priorities in their lives. In contrast, these days just by one click you can have easy and instant access to a sizeable amount of knowledge. Thus, individuals can save their time and money. Furthermore, using the Internet can be eco-friendly rather than books.
On the other hand, although using the Internet has several benefits for people, it may have numerous negative impacts on individuals in terms of their physical and mental health. Initially, the widespread use of the Internet by children and teenagers has disastrous impacts on their health. They may suffer from visual problems in the long run. From a psychological point of view, it seems that, the Internet isolated teenagers and children. Thus, they do not have sufficient communication with their friends and parents and this results in several issues such as depression, anxiety, and other problems. In addition, in several places such as remote and deprived regions, people find it challenging, and most of the time they cannot connect to the Internet. Thus, they cannot get benefits from online courses and resources and This leads to illiteracy in the future.
To conclude, using the Internet more than books these days has its advantages and disadvantages. In terms of positive points, saving time and money can be considered, and about negative points, several negative impacts on the mind and health can be presented. But according to all above mentioned, I strongly believe that its advantages outweigh the disadvantages and using the Internet can be beneficial most of the time.