Wrong. Many people may think that books are no longer important or that their use in society is neither functional nor efficient. This scenario actually reminds me of the book, Fahrenheit 451—a synecdoche for the broad disrespect for literature and books. In this classic novel, books are burned to symbolize the disregard for knowledge. Often, this dramatization becomes reality when a person asks, "Since everything is on the internet, I don't need books...right?"
This statement is an example of a logical fallacy. First of all, "everything" is not on the internet. There are so many things that are false on the internet which claim to be true. Since this hasty generalization is the main foundation of the argument, the argument is obviously invalid. In addition, books offer so much more than the regular biased internet. Books offer intellectual stimulus without the distractions of Youtube or Facebook or Blogger.
If one were to truly realize the beauty of books and the written word, he or she would see the complication with the internet or technological world. With books, nothing can be truly altered without someone easily noticing. On the internet, anything can be changed with the quick expertise of an online hacker. Books offer valuable information which is tangible and can be easily distinguished—they are either obviously fictitious or obviously truthful.
The truth is that most teenagers would say this exact phrase to get out of having to do book reports or read textbooks for classes. We would be devoid of so many tasks, assignments, and class work. Essentially, life would be easier…more time for fun and games rather than homework.
But who ever said easier is better?
People should not take the easy way out of things. The easy route would be to use the internet to find out information. But with so many websites like Wikipedia (where "volunteers" can edit the information on every page), most of the information presented on the internet is false or just pure opinion. Thus, sometimes being courageous and taking the harder route in life (reading an actual book) symbolizes one's perseverance and effort to seek truth outside of the "web" of lies.
Hi Jaser,
ReplyDeleteI really like your basic premise that books can be better than using the internet in many cases. I agree with you that books can provide a quiet time to think and absorb the information that is within them.
Your comparison of the topic of this blog with the book "Fahrenheit 451" is really clever and thought provoking. I wouldn't have thought to compare this topic to book burning, but in a way it is. I ,too, keep hearing that we don't need books anymore because as you say, "Everything is on the internet." You gave a convincing argument why we do need books and probably will continue to need them.
I wouldn't discount the internet entirely, though. For a quick answer such as a fact that cannot be altered, the internet is the fastest way to check on it. It does take effort, however, to do the research to make sure your "facts" are true and accurate.
I enjoyed reading your blog and finding out your argument toward the use of books.
Helen White
Health Sciences Library
Jaser,
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent post! This is a bit off topic, but you should consider taking a few logic classes in college. I think you'd enjoy them!
On topic, while people should definitely read more, they don't necessarily have to rely on physical books. Understanding how to evaluate websites in order to find credible information is becoming increasingly important. Just as "yellow journalism" used to plague the newspaper industry (though Hearst did turn a pretty penny on it), there were still legitimate news sources available for those who took a moment to look past the sensationalism. The same can be said today. While Wikipedia is hardly The Enquirer, it can be less than credible in some areas. However, more and more legitimate publishers are making their content available online and these ebooks, ejournals, and databases are becoming the life-blood for many researchers.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading your other posts!
Julie Silverman, MLS, MBA
Head of Collection Management
Univ. of Colorado Health Sciences Library
Anschutz Medical Campus