EOTO The Technology that Refuses to Die: Paper

With new technology such as the iPhone and Bluetooth, paper is one that is underrated and that will most likely never die. Paper allowed for the spread of religion, as well as allowing our history to be accurate. Although print media is on the route of extinction it is not due to the lack of paper but the concept of convenience within technology. With that being said, the demand for paper has and will remain strong due to the traditional education practices. 

Like most other technologies, paper was invented in China around 100 B.C. but was perfected by the Europeans. The invention of paper began with Papyrus (made from sliced sections of the flower stem of the Papyrus plant, pressed together and dried);seen below. During the 8th century, word of paper making had spread to the Islamic community resulting in the invention of pulp mills and paper mills which began the rise of mass paper making and money making.

Light Egyptian Papyrus

Within the video above, titled "The Evolution of Paper" by TheOpenBook, analyzes the timeline of the invention of paper. The invention of Papyrus was discovered by accident by the Chinese and was taken overseas to other countries for trade.

Paper began to increase in demand as the growth of literary was apparent around the world which also brought about the trend of newspapers. When looking at an invention such as paper, in which we were raised with it being easily accessible and something that wasn't look at as a privilege, we need to understand that turning towards technology to replace it, isn't a feasible option. In terms of education, decreasing the use of paper isn't as easy as one may thing. In a book titled, "Paper: Paging Through History" by Mark Kurlansky, he states, "new technologies seldom replace old technologies. Rather, the new technology fills an adjacent slot- and the old technology retains important uses" (page 17). This has proved to be true with paper, as there is still a demand for paper books, newspapers, magazines, etc.

Although it is difficult to think of a society without smartphones and email, in which paper was the only form of long distance communication, we still need to appreciate and extend the use of paper as it is history. History and other important documents still need to be hand recorded as it is consistent and trustworthy, unlike technology that can fail at any moment. With that being said, many people do worry about the extinction of print media but we can't change history nor can we change the feeling we get when we're reading a paperback book, sitting on the beach.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/what-‘paper’-says-about-technological-change