Textbooks Should Be Replaced By Technological Advances In Schools
Technology it can be your best friend in one moment and your worst nightmare the next. It has helped us from hospital care to the way our military fights as the world increases with technological advances schools tend to be falling behind still using paper textbooks. Textbooks should be removed from schools because of their weight and because of the cost.
Tablets can be a useful tool in schools. I bet we all remember too well the agony of carrying the large weight in your backpack; those books just weighing you down like a ball and chain. Today we should lighten the load for the kids and let them enjoy walking from class to class. The University of California at Riverside conducted a study over the harmful effects of heavy backpacks and the results are astonishing. 3,500 students aged 11 to 15 were asked to participate and 64% reported having back pain, according to WebMD. This should not be allowed to continue any longer. While the average textbook weighs about 2 pounds and a tablet weighs 1.5 pounds you might think that there isn’t much of a difference, but when you account for a student having 6-7 classes each needing a textbook it decreases the weight dramatically. By making the switch to tablets we lighten the load on these kids and prevent things like chronic back pain.
According to Apple a new iPad costs around $350 and lasts about 4 years. Textbooks on the other hand cost around $200 and have a one time use. At first glance this may seem like you should buy the textbook because it costs less but when you average that college students spend around 1200 on textbooks per year and that grade schools spend that much times however many students they have. The numbers add up quickly. Now while textbooks can be used multiple times in grade school the information becomes outdated so we begin to teach kids the incorrect information. Then we have to purchase new books in order to keep up with the flow of information while when you have a tablet the information could get updated in real time when scientists make discoveries or historians uncover a new artifact. Now others may argue that we would need to update the tablets in order to continue to keep them relevant. Schools could sign contracts with tablet companies, or students could use their own devices and the schools provide those who can not afford them. If a student were to get an iPad their freshman year of highschool and was to take care of it they could easily use it for their entire highschool career.
In this crazy progressive world we rely on technology more and more. While some see it as a weakness, others see it as an opportunity for advancement or an opportunity to better ourselves. Now that we have begun to embrace the technological future paper textbooks are outdated and should be cast aside to make room in our bags for the future. A future of technology.
