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 trend despite its conspicuous 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, but gives way to socioeconomic differences in society, allowing for various inconveniences. Moreover, users cannot 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 as this leads to confusing information. Once an individual locates the information they are looking for, it is not easy to search within that article, like in the case of a hard copy. Furthermore, storing information online encourages a dependence on computer technology that is harmful for 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 opened 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 level. Individuals must themselves find ways to counter these potentially injurious effects.