Prompt: In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers and books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

With the advancement of technology, conventional sources of knowledge and information such as newspapers and books have become available online both for free and at lower costs. As a result, the phenomenon has caused some to believe that, in the future, nobody will purchase print media. While the statement seems to suggest the inevitable, I can only partially agree with it as I believe that, despite their significant decrease in sales, printed publishing will still, at least, retain their niche market. Ċ Consumers’ behaviour in the aspect of data gathering has already been transformed as the internet has become the number one staple source of information and knowledge. Undoubtedly, the change has affected the print media market as it has directly caused the sales of such items to decline. There are two major reasons for this: lower costs and higher accessibility. Firstly, as the same contents, which used to be available only as hard copies, have become available online, readers can access these materials at much lower prices due to the decrease in the production and distribution costs. To illustrate, a single upload of certain content can reach millions of readers whereas the conventional method may require millions of copies of the content in question to be published. Secondly, a number of devices now allow readers to read books and newspapers at any moment without having to visit a physical bookstore. Ċ Nevertheless, I believe that there is still a place for these traditional reading materials. For reading enthusiasts, reading off a screen cannot exactly replicate the feeling of having something tangible in hand and turning the pages as they progress. For instance, to a lot of people, reading is more than just a way to acquire information but also a way to relax. Obviously, printed materials come with no distractions, which include notifications from various applications and advertisements. This allows for greater concentration. In addition, it is healthier, in general, to read offline as it does not cause optical strain, headache, and facial muscle fatigue. Ċ To conclude, I do agree that the purchasing of print media will not be as common as it has been. However, these items will continue to exist and be bought by those who are more enthusiastic about reading.