Does that not bode well of the newspapers? We spoke to 18-year-old Pratik Koirala, student at White House Institute of Science and Technology; 19-year-old Sonu Kumar Saraf, a high school graduate on this gap year; 18-year-old Anush Pathak, a grade 11 student at United Academy; and 19-year-old Shristi Kuikel, Bachelor’s in Architecture student at Kathmandu Engineering College on this much debated topic of paper vs. Internet to find out what they thought on this issue.[break]
Do you prefer your news delivered on Internet or on paper?
Pratik: I prefer Internet because it’s simpler to use and offers you live news as it happens. These news portals also are updated regularly, so it’s more reliable.
Sonu: I think the main reason I opt for Internet is availability. If I want to read international newspapers like The Times, it’s very expensive for me to buy here. But on Internet, it’s readily available and it doesn’t cost me a dime. Plus the discussions and comments give the news a more personal feel and bring to light different viewpoints on the same issue.
Anush: News on Internet is a combination of all forms of communication; verbal, written and symbolic. Internet is also very fast and offers apt updates. If you’re following the Barclay’s Premier League, you would want information faster and not the day after.
Shristi: Both mediums are equally important but I prefer newspaper because of its accessibility. Internet can fail you at times of load shedding but newspapers always get published and are easily available.
Do you think the physical presence of a newspaper, like the feel of the paper or the smell, makes any difference?
Sonu: The physical presence of newspaper makes a lot of difference. People have the habit of getting up in the morning and starting their day with a hot cup of coffee and newspaper. I think the paper has an aesthetic value that digital news can’t provide.
Anush: Newspapers definitely have a greater aesthetic value in comparison to Internet. There’s a certain layout to it and importantly highlighted local stories that are just fun to read. I prefer newspaper in the case of physical presence.
Shristi: I have a regular subscription to newspapers and read them everyday, and days when the newspaper arrives late, I feel very uneasy as if I’m skipping an important morning task. It’s like a habit and I love reading newspapers. Internet does not satisfy.
Do you think you would be more distracted from reading the news on a digital device because of the plethora of other options that it offers?
Pratik: If you’re on Internet to read news, then you need to be determined. It has a lot to offer and people can easily be distracted. But if you know why you’re on Internet, you have to be able to complete it.
Sonu: While I’m on Internet, I always have a couple of tabs open. One might be a social networking site and the other a chat platform, and I read news only until a friend comes online. I start chatting after that. Internet is very distracting and reading news on it requires a lot of determination.
Shristi: There’s definitely more distraction on Internet, like the two of them said, much more that in newspapers. You have to really want to learn to be actually read on Internet because news and reading on it always comes second to virtual socialization.
Does price factor enter your decision?
Pratik: Yes, it does. If you invest in a digital device, your initial capital is high but you get all your information for free and a digital device can do a lot more than just provide news. You have to keep paying for newspapers that provide only news; it makes more sense to invest in an expensive device that does more.
Sonu: If you invest in a digital device, you buy for a longer time. You don’t have to keep paying for news for at least two years, and in this age where paper is turning more and more expensive, I think Internet is the key to reliable and free information.
Anush: I think devices are much cheaper in this context because you have to keep paying for a newspaper. The prices of newspapers are increasing whereas the prices of devices have started going down. There are many cheap Chinese devices available and Internet’s cost is cheaper nowadays. Digital news is definitely cheaper.
What do you think of the future? Do you think paper-based newspapers will cease to exist and will digital media take over?
Pratik: It feels much easier to take notes on paper because it’s much simpler and faster. We’re used to the habit of writing and trying always comes secondary. I don’t think that the use of paper and pen will be obsolete in the future.
Sonu: I don’t think paper will cease to exist. We haven’t developed to the phase where paper is rendered obsolete. A lot of people still don’t know how to use computers and a major part of our education is also based on book research that cannot be found online. So I don’t see the paper or newspaper turning obsolete in the near future.
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