There is no future for printed books in the age of the Internet (?)

               Is there a future for printed books in the age of the Internet? People often say there is not because the Internet is going to replace them completely in next few years, but I am not that sure about this, so I decided to compare the book and the Internet and to try to find the answer to this complicated question.

Firstly, let´s find out what these two „rivals“ have in common. Both book and the Internet are great sources of information, they support the education and generally help with studying and literacy. Moreover, they are also an  inherent part of our free time; one of the most common types of entertainment. I would say that these are the only characteristics that the book and the Internet have in common.

On the contrary, there are so many differences between those two – firstly, the book (as we know it today) has been here for hundreds of years, so the Internet is still kind of a „newbie“. Secondly, the book has a strong position in our lives. People may even have feelings for book – not quite as much for the Internet (well, it is also very addictive, but that is a different story). When you hear the word „book“, you probably imagine some particular book, but what do you imagine when I say „the Internet“ ? You can take the book with you when you travel or give it as a gift. The Internet is a modern technology, you can find much more information there than in any single book. However, books are quite cheap, while exploring the Internet costs a lot of money, because you obviously need a computer or a modern cell phone. And I could keep comparing like this for hours.

To sum it up, there are some similarities, but we should never compare two incomparable things - for one and only reason – there is no point in doing so. People welcome new fast and practical technologies because they do not have as much time as they used to in the past. However, there is no such thing as taking your favourite book out of the home library, wiping the dust out of it , opening it and starting to read and to imagine your own fantasy world with a nice cup of tea in the other hand. If this does not make you feel better, nothing will (and certainly not the Internet), so in my point of view, the book will never completely disappear, because it is irreplaceable.