In the past, knowledge was contained in books. Nowadays, knowledge is uploaded to the internet. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
It is a fact of modern life that most
information
today is stored online, rather than in physical books as it was in the past. In my opinion, this
is a negative overall despite its obvious conveniences.
Supporters of this
trend can point to the numerous ways knowledge kept online can be disseminated and used. Online information
is almost universally accessible, narrowing socioeconomic differences in society and allowing for various conveniences. First
of all, users can find relevant information
on search engines from a wide range of sources including user-generated sites like Wikipedia to news outlets like The New York Times and academic journals as well. Once an individual locates the information
they are looking for, it is also
easier to search within that article, share it with others, have it wherever they go and store more than would be possible if it were a hard copy.
Nonetheless
, storing information
online encourages the dependence on computer technology that is
harmful to the human mind. In the past, if a person wanted to research a given topic, they would have to check out a library book or talk with an expert. This
process was much slower and open to the possibility of bias. However
, it also
meant that individuals were more conscientious and patiently learned from fuller, more nuanced sources. Nowadays, most people read short articles, hastily written to attract more clicks and generate advertising revenue. These tap into a fundamental human need to be constantly engaged and feeling pleasure. Over time, this
has led to a generation addicted to devices, lacking the healthy habits engendered by careful research and study.
In conclusion, despite the handiness of online information
, the impact on the human psyche makes this
a negative trend on the level. Individuals must find ways to counter these potentially injurious effects.Submitted by Ashish on
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Answer the 'Advantages and Disadvantages' topic
IELTS advantages and disadvantages questions normally give you a statement and ask you to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of that statement.
Answer structure for the type of essay
- Introduction
- Body paragraph 1 – advantages
- Body paragraph 2 – disadvantages
- Conclusion
Examples to start your body paragraph:
- The main advantage is...
- The disadvantage of this...
- The main benefit...
- Despite these advantages...
- One possible drawback...