SHOULD TONLINE RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION TAKE LEAD AND REPLACE THE TEXTBOOKS?

In recent times, there has been a significant rise in the debate pertaining to choosing the mode of study with options of studying online by replacing the orthodox style of printed books. In my opinion, the primary interface for students should be paper books while the technology and internet based sources can play a secondary role.

To embark with, there are many reasons to give preference to books and reading material and use electronically viewed material only as an additional option on need basis. First and foremost, reading books does not require any extra investment in terms of buying devices, internet and other tech-based items keeping the financial burden on the individual to the minimum. It is also pertinent to the above mentioned point that the health concerns are almost negligible in terms of gaining knowledge through offline and traditional modes like books, journals and magazines. To exemplify, many students from rural backgrounds with no access to technology and internet perform equally well in comparison to modern and city-based students.

Nevertheless, the benefits of technological advancements and tremendous opportunities cannot be ignored ranging from vast and efficient access to global knowledge through video lectures and website based content. Although there are endless options to choose from internet sources in case a particular source is not providing clarity on a particular topic, however, longer screen times can have a detrimental impact on eye and mental health and the presence of inauthentic and unverified sources can damage the learning process of a student or a reader.

In conclusion, it is evident that physical material in the form of textbooks should be the first preference of the reader with the technology based products acting in a supporting role.