With modern technology constantly improving, the ability to find information quickly online has changed the way humans consume literature in the last couple of decades. As accessing information has become universal across the planet, the trend continues to grow as more people gain access to mobile devices and the Internet.
Some people have concerns about how our reading habits have changed, while many others think the change is a good thing. Whether gathering betting information online or reading your favorite blog, more access to knowledge and increased literacy can certainly be worthwhile. But on the other hand, the Internet can also be full of misinformation and can sometimes be a distraction.
Information at the Fingertips
The speed at which we find information online has taught us to quickly look through long texts to find the information and keywords we need in just a few seconds of scanning the page. However, some say that can have a negative impact by resulting in us not having the ability to read long pages of text without losing interest.
There are many positives in the way humans access literature. Being able to store book titles onto a digital device such as an e-reader has many advantages. Sections of the text can be highlighted and the ability to look up words or mark a subject to be researched are all at your fingertips. These devices also are connected to the world’s most extensive library, where books and other obscure literature can be downloaded in a matter of seconds.
In many schools, tablets have risen in popularity, and in the future, students will likely be carrying these to class instead of a stack of books. Everything will be available to them on the device, with the student being able to take notes, follow lessons, complete virtual assignments, and communicate with teachers through email to submit homework. In addition, all textbooks will be kept online with instant access, and they’ll have the ability to take tests using their devices.
The Power of the Internet
It’s possible that having unlimited access to the Internet and so much information has caused humans to rush things more than in the past. Being constantly connected to the Internet has put us into a 24/7 news cycle that is important in the flow of information across the world. Sometimes trying to be the first outlet to report on an event can result in false information being released, which can damage the consumer’s relationship with that news source.
With all the information available online, the way we present the information or gain access to it has the potential to cause problems. Nowadays, an increasing number of people are getting most of their news from social media instead of a newspaper.
A Pew Research study in 2019 discovered that more than 40% of Americans get at least some of their news from Facebook. However, with social media sites using algorithms to present the user what it thinks they want to see, it can be concerning to some and often leads to readers being misinformed.
Old Standards Still Garner Attention
Humans are still very interested in reading the printed word. Many libraries that have adopted modern technology are still surviving, but the demand for books has remained popular.
The main difference in today’s libraries is the amount of time people actually spend inside when they visit. Many of them now have the technology to allow customers to search an online database of books and put their choices on hold to be picked up later.
The way humans read has changed a lot in the last 25 years, with the amount of readily available material has never been greater than it is today. In addition, technology is changing how we learn and read with new resources and devices used to access digital content. As advancements continue, the old ways of accessing literature will be a memory, but reading will still continue to thrive.
