Many people believe that due to the vast amount of Internet resources, museums are no longer necessary to play an educational role in this day and age. However, I’m afraid I have to disagree with this statement since the in-person experiences of visiting museums cannot be replicated by online resources.
One predominant reason is that many museums offer a wide variety of knowledge, especially in the historical and art field. Because of privacy regulations, many exhibits are not allowed to be posted on the Internet, some even use a combination of rhythm, lighting system, olfactory, and architecture to showcase exhibitions, which cannot be imitated or replicated by online versions. Moreover, a large quantity of museum collections is carefully curated, which means exhibits are found and carefully chosen and sorted to present a culture or a historical period most objectively and scientifically possible. Such realistic demonstrations contribute to the full sense of experiences and satisfaction of viewers, which cannot be replicated easily through online platforms.
On the other hand, there are numerous problems related to information online nowadays that we can realize. Firstly, the sources of information online are usually unverifiable, leading to misinformation and knowledge that people may absorb over time. Unless this information is posted on academic or government websites, the unverifiable information issues in the contemporary system should not be trusted by any individual or organization. Secondly, people rarely look for information online when it comes to realistic locations and objects, while museums are a more active choice. Turning back to the time when the Internet started bombing, thanks to the vast free-flow of information, many people at that time chose to learn culture and history from other cultures on the Internet through searching, whereas people nowadays are more able to afford realistic experiences from museums visiting, which is also treated as an entertainment and educational activity. From realistic interactions with historical objects, stories, or art exhibits, people can now deeply explore the intrinsic values of those interactions, contributing to their lifelong learning progress pragmatically.
In conclusion, although the amount of information on the Internet is vast and accessible nowadays, I think that museums play an integral role in contemporary society as their realistic experiences and moral values cannot be replicated easily.