Daria Patterson
Professor Rau
ENG 101 MD
October 26, 2014
The Era of
Information
The world is in a period of rapid innovation,
which would not have been possible without digital media. Dan Blank’s article, Why Digital is Better than Print, discusses
some of the many improvements that have come as a result of the switch from
print to digital. The technological advances that have taken place in society
have dramatically changed the way people live. People are able to access and
share information at an unprecedented speed and with unmatched efficiency. The results
have been mostly beneficial, allowing humans to be more independent, informed,
and helping to maintain the environment. The rise of the internet has potential
to be one of society’s most positively impactful tools.
Before the internet, people relied
on paper to gather information. The exclusive use of paper presented many
drawbacks, most notably, its lack of efficiency when trying to access material.
“I grew up in an age where libraries were the sole repositories of information,
and even then, I always found the process of information retrieval arduous and
disappointing (Blank 1).” People have the ability to access information with
unprecedented speed- using a device that fits in the palm of their hand, people
can access virtually any known information in just a matter of seconds. People should
not underappreciate the significance of having the world’s information readily
available as it has led to an overall more informed and knowledgeable
population. When the number of ways to learn expands, people’s minds do as
well.
Besides just in the forms of
increased intelligence, the web has made people less narrow-minded. When solely
relying on paper, it was common in society for people to blindly follow
whatever they were told because they were so restricted in how, or how much,
they could access and share other information. “Today ‘the people’ are not
relegated to a single page…the web has given each and every one of us a voice
in this world (Blank 5).” People have become more open-minded and willing to
explore and accept new ideas due to the wide array of content available. Rather
than thoughtlessly accepting information, people can do their own research, and
as a result, broaden their autonomy, independence, and create informed
opinions. People have more freedom to share their opinions and thoughts as
well, creating a greater sense of community in the world.
If pollution causes the extinction
of life, as many people believe it may, all information in the world renders
itself useless. Pollution has been a growing issue in society, with paper usage
a leading cause. The massive increase in digital use rather than paper
inevitably poses a benefit for the environment. “Digital certainly consumes
energy, but the inherent waste is not as evident, as millions of copies of a single
piece of content can be replicated and spread across the world in moments
(Blank 4).” Even without considering paper, people generate tons of waste and
pollution throughout their lives in the form of automobile fuel, factory
emissions, and everyday chemicals such as the ones found in hairspray. Therefore,
the massive amount of trees and paper saved from the rise of the internet
inevitably improves, or helps maintain the environment.
The amount
of potential in digital media is endless. The internet is like a miniature book
holding all information the world has to offer. With the added features of
information sharing, easy and efficient research, its diversity of uses, and
environmental benefits, the internet has made life easier for nearly all who
use it. The empowerment that the
internet has provided society is unparalleled and its future seems to be going
in the same direction.
Works Cited
Blank, Dan. “Why Digital Is Better Than Print.” I Feel Fine: How I Learned To Stop Worrying
and Love The Web. danblank.com. n. p. 5 August 2000. web. 28 August 2014
Hey Daria,
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with everything you have said in your blog post to a certain extent. Digital is an overall more convenient way to communicate, gain knowledge and express personal views. But what happens when digital is not as reliable as we would expect? Sometimes computers crash, have virus’ and batteries for electronic devices die. Problems like this are not associated with print. This makes print a stable source to refer back to.
I agree with the fact that the internet makes people more knowledgeable about the world around them and not getting their information from one person. Digital has increased the intelligence of this generation. This creates people to form their own opinion on certain issues of today. People have the freedom to rightful share their moral values through the web. Your blog post was consistent in stating how digital is beneficial.