Introduction
Reading printed text has existed long before the internet text. With the coming of the internet, many people have been at crossroads when it comes to choosing a better text to read. The question of whether there is a difference between reading printed and internet-based text raises heated debate. It is arguable that the internet text is more convenient and easy to access. However, in this regard, Nicholas Carr asks whether Google is making people stupid by affecting their brains. Reading printed text used to be easy compared to the internet content. Certainly, the internet text has shifted the reading process as people no longer read the same way. In most cases, people reading the internet text are preoccupied with other things such as games and applications, which somewhat can exhaust their mental resources compared to someone reading printed text.
Thesis statement: Even though the internet text can be accessed faster than printed materials, people who read internet text spend most of the time on their technological devices, which strains them and affect their brains. However, reading printed materials allows readers to remember information easily compared to digital or internet text, where people are disrupted by other applications and games on their phones and laptops.
Body
Reading printed materials comes with many benefits. In most cases, when people read printed text, their memory ties information to various contextual parameters such as how deep in the printed materials they were while reading, what side of the page it was on, the location in the page it was on, and what was around it. In this case, when they try to go back and find something, they can find it surprisingly fast if they first read it in certain printed material. In a conversation with Phaedrus, Socrates explains, “writing shares a strange feature with painting. The offsprings of painting stand there as if they are alive, but if anyone asks them anything, they remain most solemnly silent” (Plato 2). In this quotation, the possible point is that written words may not be understood because the reader cannot ask any questions that might come up while reading. However, digital or internet text also has its problems, such as the internet can slow down, and websites hosting these materials can crash. Nonetheless, the advancement of technology has allowed internet text readers to access all the materials they need to read, unlike those who read printed text.
The internet text can be accessed faster than printed materials. As much as the internet allows people to access information faster, remembering what they read is different (Carr 1). For example, Carr indicates that the internet does not allow readers to concentrate and contemplate. The author noted, “and what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation” (Carr 1). Mostly, the mind of a reader takes in content the way it comes and moves on to the next activities online. Thus, remembering what has been read at the end of the day becomes a problem, unlike when one is reading printed text. But it is easier to read and remember what someone reads from a printed text. However, Socrates disagrees with this claiming that written documents have little worth and limit people from remembering events (Plato 4). On the other hand, reading the internet text comes with many problems such as brain damage, diversion from online applications, among others, which is not the case with printed materials. Moreover, it is a more tactile experience that comes with the simple pleasures of reading and physically seeing progress as the reader is turning pages. In most cases, this is not the case when it comes to the internet text, as some readers are diverted by their internet-based applications and games, which at times affect their health.
People who read the internet text spend most of their time on their technological devices, and this strains them, and this can cause mental health issues, such as addiction to the internet applications and social isolation. Although convenience is one of the advantages that internet text readers enjoy over those that prefer printed materials, spending much time online comes with a price. For example, one of the concerns is that relying on the internet text can affect someone’s brain. Nonetheless, as noted by Carr, the coming of the internet text has allowed people to read more compared to traditional ways of reading printed materials despite the challenges (such as light affecting reader’s eyes and brains, social isolation) that come with it (Carr 2). Thus, it is important to balance the time spent online reading to minimize health risks.
Conclusion
In summary, reading printed text remains important despite the advantages that come with reading the internet text. As noted above, reading printed materials is the best when it comes to remembering what has been read. Although it is easier to access the internet materials to read, this comes with a price, such as not concentrating and contemplating, as well as brain damage. Thus, the difference between reading printed and internet-based text relies on how people can remember what they read, access to reading materials, and the effects each method has on the readers.
Works Cited
Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google making us stupid: What the Internet is doing to our brains.” (2008).
Plato. “Excerpt from Phaedrus.” Borough of Manhattan Community College City University of New York English Department.