Won't students use printed books any more in 20 years?

Among the four great inventions in China's history, two of them are associated with books. Undoubtedly, the chronicling of human civilization owes much to the spread of papermaking and printing techniques. It is from paper textbooks that students master knowledge and comprehend common sense. Upon entry into the information age, however, the publishing field is undergoing a tremendous change. With a growing number of electronic books being sold, some people predict that in two decades' time, students will no longer use printed books. In my opinion, such a speculation truly complies with the current tendency. To begin with, advanced technology will make electronic textbooks more beneficial for school education. The remarkable speed achieved so far in the development of technology has already convinced modern people that the electronic world is filled with marvels. To illustrate, the massive data storage capacity of an electronic reader allows the storage of the equivalent of piles of thick books. If students are using these forms of textbooks, they no longer have to stuff their schoolbags with paper books, lessening their burden physically. What's more, the adoption of visual and sound effects makes studying and reading time more enjoyable. Technology ensures better memory, deeper impressions and easier comprehension. Using electronic textbooks also helps create a more student-based learning environment, rendering more help to the teachers to innovate teaching methods. Thus, more interactions between teachers and students may be achieved. Moreover, the business world has already sensed the changes in people's reading habits. For example, most major publishers around the world have already started to make preparation for the predicted evolution in books. As for manufacturers, some of them have already produced diversified electronic readers. There is no denying that technology has threatened the entire printing industry around the globe. People are progressing into a technology- based society. Amazon. com, an Internet retail giant, has issued a press release stating that they are selling more online books than paper books. Evidently, if younger people today are accustomed to reading electronic books, their market will possibly extend to schools in the very near future. In addition, due to environmental concerns the government might also promote the use of electronic books in schools in the future. The printing of books involves a variety of materials from which paper is made. These resources are not of endless supply. Each year, large areas of forests are being cut down to produce paper, which might lead to crisis in natural resources and disruption of ecological balance. All these potential threats are reminding the government that replacing paper textbooks with electronic ones is an effective measure to protect the environment. Evidently, all the prevalent changes taking place today due to the advancement of science and technology are combined together to induce greater revolutions in all fields. The book industry is experiencing an evolution that produces no smaller impact than the third wave has done to the entire human race. From what has been discussed above, I would support the idea that students will no longer use printed textbooks in 20 years.