In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
This essay question is from Cambridge IELTS 15 Test 2 Writing Task 2.
Sample Essay
In the future, there will be nobody purchasing physical newspapers or books because everything they want to read will be available on the Internet for free. Although I agree that physical books will not be in demand in the future, I disagree with the given reason for it.
Obviously, not all digital books and newspapers will be free of charge in the future. This is because for many organizations their revenue from electronic publications supports their entire operation. For example, the New York Times charges a 1 dollar monthly subscription fee for their digital articles. This charge allows them to pay their employees and other operating costs. I believe this practice will continue in the future because otherwise, they will go bankrupt.
The real reason why people will stop buying paper books and newspapers, I think, is that they can get electronic editions in a matter of seconds. After a new title is published, one has to go to a bookstore to buy the print version or wait for it to be delivered. The electronic version, in comparison, can be readily available to read in just seconds. For example, to purchase a Kindle book, a person just needs to go to Amazon.com and click some buttons. The book will appear in their Kindle reader right away.
In conclusion, while I believe nobody will buy print publications in the future, I do not think this is because they will be able to read every piece of digital content they want free of cost for the above two reasons mentioned.