Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age?

Even in the age of the internet, museums are just as important as ever. While new technologies are being developed to present museums and artifacts in a virtually, nothing is more valuable to the preservation of history and culture than the original artifacts and books. The fire of the Brazilian museum was a tragedy-an irreplaceable loss of history and culture. Preventing this loss of culture in the future requires a two step process. First: museums are old. Often, historical museums are housed in historical buildings, which lack protection against natural disasters and fires. Retrofitting old buildings with important safety equipment can be nearly impossible for museums with improper funding. Governments and other benefactors must prioritize modernizing museum buildings for safety, to preserve their important holdings. Secondly, it is important to continue to digitize books and artifacts in museums until all items have a digital copy. This is becoming much easier in the age of internet because vast amounts of museum data can be put into online databases. Through high-precision scanning, digital 3D models of various artifacts can be made for in depth study later. Also, with Virtual Reality, whole rooms in museums can be experienced through a headset. Although original artifacts are the most valuable to researchers, digital copies can still save valuable elements of long-gone culture and preserve a glimpse of the past in the case the originals are lost or destroyed.

Yes, I think that museums are still important in the digital age. The first reason is that museums are a great place to receive information. Nowadays we have the internet and it is hard to know what information is correct. That’s why museums are helpful. They can teach you about a certain object or an event and what makes it important. Museums spend about $12 million on hands-on activities each year to allow students learn something new. (Texas Historical Commission) In all, museums use about $2 billion on activities to teach people from all ages. About 15% of the visits to museums are from field trips from schools. (AAM) The second reason is that museums are still relevant and many people still go to them. Each year, museums in America get about 850 million visits. That’s more than the combined amount of people who go to amusement parks and major sporting events each year. (AAM) To put this in context, the population of the U.S. is more than 320 million. This shows that the number of people that go to museums are almost three times that amount. “Museum Facts & Data.” American Alliance of Museums, 8 Aug. 2018, www.aam-us.org/programs/about-museums/museum-facts-data/. Texas Historical Commission. “Fast Facts.” Angelina (Peyton) Eberly-A Pioneering Spirit | THC.Texas.gov - Texas Historical Commission, 2017, www.thc.texas.gov/about/fast-facts#cat_294.

Museums are necessary to be kept - not only do they serve as tourist attractions, museums also provide a home for history, much like a shelter for the homeless. Though rusted, ancient artifacts may seem irrelevant, they are actually fragments of the past that we have preserved for ages. Museums allow for creativity and act as a place for people to shed light on the past. There are approximately 850 million visits to American museums each year and more than 98% of Americans believe that museums are considered educational (Museum Facts & Data). Museums all over the world ensure that the people of future generations can explore how much the world has changed throughout the years. Although one may think that museums are undusted and aged, museums are much more than just a storehouse for unneeded waste. Museums preserve a multitude of objects from the past (Museum Facts & Data). Artifacts in museums are like family records - they’re both treasured and safely kept. We have learned so much about history due to remnants that have been dug up from the ground, and even artwork and monuments inspire people to fabricate more ideas. A plant cannot bloom from the surface of the ground, it rises because of what’s holding it up - the roots. By preserving history, future generations can get the same experience of seeing pieces from the past. If we do not preserve museums, the future generations will never be able to witness the significance of history and how much society has evolved.

I have not been to many museums however, I think that governments should protect them. Everything can be done with technology nowadays but, looking at something online isn't the same as in real life. Museums carry priceless pieces of history and culture. If these items are left unprotected we could lose all of it like *that*. Overall, I think that it's very important to protect our museums and our history.

Museums provide an education to all people where you get to see real artifacts. They provide a great education where you can learn so much. Actually seeing the object gives you a better experience then looking at a digital picture of the object. In person, you get to see the textures and details of the object but digitally you don’t get that same effect. We should protect these artifacts in museums because they can be used to educate future generations and you can learn a lot more about history from an actual artifact then a digital photo of the artifact. The fire at the National Museum of Brazil is a horrible tragedy. The loss of these artifacts is a loss of history and information. The artifacts are one of a kind that can’t be remade since they are from the past. Once they’re gone there is no getting them back and all the information that they hold about life in the past. Museums do hold our future and are a vital part of the world.

My name is Thia I attend Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC and I believe that visiting a museum in person produces a different human experience than doing a virtual tour. First of all, you can't get the same appreciation for the artifact or work of art than you would seeing the details in person. Secondly, I hear the phrase,"Get off your phone." all of the time. Taking a virtual tour is the same as being on my phone. Also, I love learning about history, but reading about it can get boring really fast. Going to a history museum however, can be really fun. Actually seeing the historical artifacts helps me feel and learn more about the history of each piece. Lastly, I have sees pictures of things that don't seem real. Seeing it person helps me decide what is real and what is a photo that has been manipulated. These are my reasons for believing that seeing art and artifacts in person produce a different perspective as well as a different experience then a virtual tour.

Stepping into a Museum is like stepping into a time machine. Phones are all well and good, able to look up any information and photos of the subject at a drop of the hat is certainly handy, but experiencing it first hand is magical. Standing under the bones of a dinosaur thousands of years old and seeing a photo the the bones are very different experiences. Close enough to touch history, you have the ability to understand just how small you are. A humbling experience, museums. History, frozen forever, is something worth millions. Spend a little extra to preserve and see future generations experience the wonders of history first hand.

Museums provide a new outlook on history and the stories behind each historical piece. Museums showcase the artifacts of history that impacted humanity and gave worth to the object that were valuable to learn about the past, but is physically going to a museum that much different than virtually experiencing it? Many times physically going to museums can improve your understanding of history, but that doesn't mean that virtually learning about them is any different. The information is still the same and everyone can obtain access to this information. Let's remember that it is not possible for everyone to have access to a museum because of either time, money, or location, so virtual museums gives everyone a chance to learn.

Museums are nonprofit organizations that were designated to preserve and exhibit historical, scientific, artistic, and cultural objects that may be of interest to the public for entertainment or education. Although it is fascinating to visit a museum and awe over the many interesting objects in exhibition in person, it is easier to simply pull out your phone and search up certain artifacts and the history behind it. This way of taking advantage of the Digital Age is also completely free and less laborious as visiting museums requires entry fees and takes precious time and effort. However, it is true that most museums are very educational, captivating, and informative, while they are a great way to have fun in learning about a certain historical or scientific topic. Other advantages of museums may also include giving benefits to the community through tourism, providing effective sources of research, and being the place for quality time with family or friends. For example, not only is the Pearl Harbor Historic Site and Museum an informative site, but it also serves as a memorial for those who passed away during the Pearl Harbor bombing. This place is filled with plenty of artifacts, stories, and interesting information that one can learn from. Although museums certainly have their benefits, it is still easier to simply google the information as the internet contains information, pictures, and facts to just about everything, especially now in the Digital Age.

First, I would like to say that as a 13 year old, I can say I don't have much experience in the matter. Yet, I believe my argument is at least agreeable Nowadays, every place on earth can be reached through a simple Google search. This may make museums seem unimportant and outdated, but this is actually untrue. A museum can be used as a place for people to unite in the appreciation of history. Technology makes this exponentially easier with dedicated websites featuring 3D models of the establishment and online chats that can unite people around the world; this comes at an expense. Real-world interaction still cannot be beaten by technology. There's a difference between walking into a building filled with wonderful physical artifacts of our history and culture, and looking the things up on Google or Bing (which no one really uses anyways...). Museums may not be for everyone, but they are for people who are in love with our true history, not just a digital copycat.

Museums are still important today even though many people, especially younger students, do not see the benefits of going to a museum. With digital technology, younger generations miss out on real life experiences, including real life interactions, the act of figuring out how to do something on their own, and studying the world through it’s primary sources rather than searching Wikipedia, a unreliable online source. Museums value people in society with old history and old systems that our ancestors have created and evolved by displaying real 3D artifacts and tools made by hand. Technology has taken away our ability to discover new solutions and ways of thinking since everything has already been explained with a touch of a button. Museums were our link to the past and our gateway to see how we can use similar methods from long ago to improve our lives now. Visitors are given the value of experience by making you feel as though you are in that time period for a better understanding. Museums link us to past worlds whereas digital museums only make us want to fall asleep in our homes.

As a young reader who has always known museums and had an enjoyable time going to them, it is hard to understand that they are declining and people are not taking advantage of them, museums have always been important to me and my family. On vacation we always do things to learn more about the area we are visiting, especially by going to museums. The article definitely opened an eye that maybe by the time I get older I can’t experience going out and showing my family the past and how things used to be and how history can be exciting and fun. Knowing your history is important and not being able to experience some of it one on one can really impact a life. If you always go by someone’s word and not experiencing knowledge from the past, history could change. If it changes how could you know the truth about what really happened in the past?

In this day in age, we don't value the importance of museums for the simple fact that people don't put much of their interest in taking the time to go visit one. Museums are important because they give us a historical feeling and a sense of how the world was before. For example, old artifacts hold vital information about that specific time period which is a huge part of our history that we need to take notice in. The value that they provide visitors is the experience whether if the museum focuses more on paintings, artifacts, or ect. More people should visit and study more the importance of these museums.

What we see in a museum and what we see online or in a textbook are two completely different experiences. The paintings and artifacts in a museum are a piece of history, the stories that were carried down for centuries with the art is truly something special. Being able to visit a museum and study something from long ago is an experience everyone should have. Being able to analyze how someone long ago was feeling just through a painting is an experience you can't have through a phone screen. Museums are still important in the digital age. Visiting a museum is an experience everyone should have, as it provides you with knowledge on things that were important to those who lived centuries ago.

Museums are still needed in this digital age. They allow us to travel back in time and learn the history of those who came before us. Museums hold saved memories to be passed on to later generations to appreciate and hold dear. Yes, you can travel all around the world from the comfort of your home with your phone but, only real experiences can make you feel things a phone can't. it's like watching a concert on youtube versus going to one it's a whole different feeling. Museums give us that privilege.

Museums are still important today because they give us a different experience and feeling from seeing the piece of artwork in person rather than online. Going to the museum helps us connect with the artwork and makes us feel like we are in that day in age that it was made. Seeing paintings online does not give us the same excitement as opposed to seeing the original piece. The colors are not as vibrant and the picture is not as detailed. We need to stop relying so much on technolgy and value the things we can see at a museum.

No matter how far technology advances, museums will always hold a vital historical value. Museums contain collections of artifacts that will never be recreated. Despite the prevalent knowledge of searching pictures up, the physical artifacts still retain their historical meaning. It is a completely different experience to behold those historical items right in front of you. As we travel farther into the future, it should be more important to remember our history, everything that led us to where we are now. Leaving the past behind and forgetting about museums would diminish all of its historical value. History itself is important to society because we can learn from our ancestors' mistakes and improve upon the foundation they built. If we throw all museums away, we will lose our history as well.

Museums are definitely an important aspect of life to show present, future, and past knowledge. To this day technology is a huge aspect of communication, information, and learning. However, museums are still very important to the world. With technology, you can see the 2d or 3d picture of the famous work of art, but at a museum, you can visually see it in person. Reading the writing beside the artifact is different than reading it online. Although nowadays museums are getting less and less popular, we should always cherish what they offer to us.

Museums are important because they show the history of a certain country and serve as a source of an event in history. Can you imagine, years and years of history all gone in the blink of an eye. Museums have paintings, artifacts, statues etc. that tell stories. And people can decipher them however they feel like it, if possible. Seeing this history in person is so much better than to see it online because in person you're seeing it for everything it is, for its depth, for its size just things that you cant see online from just a picture.

As the entire world slowly bleeds into a digital mass, artifacts from a more physical era still remain vital. The information overload of the Internet is an undeniable boost to both the intelligence and idiocy of human beings; a blessing that curses us all or vice versa. One problem of the digital age is the too-muchness of it all. It's an issue museums can help with. A museum is a tangible mass of information and ideas but its objects and ideas have been arranged in a more careful manner than a Google search. The government should try to aid museums in their quest to stay afloat but they should also create accessibility within these expensive institutions. The importance of museums can be inflated by older patrons in a way that may put off younger people who are happy to stay at home to research a school paper. With fresh, exciting new exhibits and presentations there may be a future that simultaneously withholds the precious past of these buildings while updating them for a digital generation experiencing reality.

Museums provide us our history as humans with a more personal connection. Textbooks in school give us the content and maybe the image, but the similarity between the real Mona Lisa and a description of her in a European History textbook is nonexisting. The importance of actually having the opportunity to view history physically is more intriguing than just reading about it. If someone finds something interesting, they will naturally want to learn more about it, potentially leading to seeing the real thing.

I clicked this article with dread as I’ve seen this question posed before; 50 years of “musetech” scholarship proves museums remain relevant & benefit from the digital age because they are better able to serve their missions to preserve culture & inform the public. I know because I’m a student studying this for my PhD. While the digital age divides us in some ways, shared interests in museum content brings us together. This is seen on museums’ websites (more digital than physical visitors) & 3rd party platforms with viral content (Google Art selfies). The virality demonstrates popular interest, shows the relevancy of these institutions, and justifies their continued existence for the global community. Furthermore, my doctoral research is bringing to light that online forums that discuss objects found in museums remain active. Collectively, digital interactions actually turn people into physical visitors - & any way to create shared humanity is a win to me. Digital museum experiences do not negate the importance of a museum. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in “musetech” that doesn’t value the physicality of objects or prefers a digital version over physical counterpart. We make digital experiences to enable those far away to experience collections in-situ, contextualize objects, & ease the logistics of a visit. Benjamin’s “aura” remains true. Dr. Parcak’s article is, simply put, the best I’ve seen written about the tragedy at the National Museum of Brazil.

I believe museums are important because they provide people with opportunities and chances not many get to have in their lifetime. Yes, you can go online and take a virtual tour of the Smithsonian or the Louvre in Paris but there is nothing like seeing an actual famous painting or artifact in person. Being next to something that has been so famous for millions of years has a special effect because you can go to someone and say that you physically saw a famous painting or artifact. A phone or tablet does not provide you with that feeling because you aren't actually there. The digital world and the real world are still two separate things no matter how hard you try to mash them together.

Humans have passed down stories of for centuries, informing the generations after them about the world and the way it works. Stories have pathed a path for those who hear them, urging them not to make the same mistakes as those before them. Although we will always learn from these stories, we now have taken a step further, with the study of history. We study history to see how we came from what the world was to what the world is now. Like we do with stories, we also look back upon history to see what works versus what doesn't. "We learn from our mistakes." Museums are full of historical artifacts that all have their own story. Whether it be big or small, those artifacts tell the stories that have and will continue to shape our world. Technology can't replace the timeless stories these artifacts tell us with three pictures and a quick caption.

Museums currently have, and always will have, a place in society. The experience of going to a museum and seeing the things touched by people hundreds or even thousands of years ago is not an experience that can be replaced through the use of images or technology. The artifacts within are essential pieces of history that may still have uses in the future. Perhaps a piece of art from a museum may one day serve as the inspiration for another masterpiece, as has so often happened throughout history, or the knowledge served of a movement in a museum will inspire new societal change. All of these 'ifs' are worth keeping museums for, even if they never come to pass. That is why museums are neccesary, and that is why they should be protected.

Museums are still important today because they are a direct primary source of all old artifacts, paintings, etc. Although you can see everything museums have online, it isn't the same as if you saw it in real life. Actually visiting a museum and being in the same room as a certain painting or artifact gives you a different human experience than seeing it online because when you see it you can sometimes imagine yourself in that time period. Museums keep the memories of the people and things they had way before we were all born. It's interesting to actually see everything before our time. Museums definitely are worth protecting because they preserve everything that was important to someone or something long ago.

As we cannot explain in words what we can see, we cannot either explain it just with images or videos. To be present, to feel, to use all our senses is what changes. A virtual museum give us new oportunities, and it has not to be a copy of a museum. So each kind of museum should give us different experiences.

I think museums are still important as you don't get the feeling of the statue or whatever the thing is on phone or desktop as you have it in seeing the thing live. Getting the virtual tour is more exciting than seeing it on the screen. According to me people should visit the museums not on the phone but in real. I know phones are really cool but isn't it cool to visit a museum and the ancient things and stuff that our ancestors used in real than on phone. Well everyone has different opinions and my opinion was this.

After Reading this Article, "Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age" has changed the way that I Imagine Museums to be like. The disastrous fire that burnt down the 200 year old National Museum of Brazil was devastating but not only for the people in the area, but for the rest of the world because we cannot experience those pieces of history first handed anymore. Museums aren't places where your going to get bored but it shows us how we humans have developed overtime. The National Museum of Brazil helped us to remember the past. Museums are most of the reason as to why we know our history. Yes, Museums are still important in the Digital Age.

museums are important nowadays, because I think it is the most effective way to see how our background had that love for art, and the need to translate them into a canvas or a sculpture, for me I think it is important to visit a museum, because I think it is not the same to see a picture via a photo, to be in the same room, or to witness it in a clear and direct way the details expressed in it, I believe that museums should be saved, and left, because maybe in a virtual reality camera, you will not feel the same, that sitting down to see a sculpture and analyze it carefully and emotionally, the truth is that there is nothing better to see as someone who at that time had less resources than someone Nowadays, with pride and love, he will express his feelings in a portrait, yes, I think museums should stay, to make the human eye understand that there is nothing better than looking at beauty in the most natural way possible.

The Digital Age is the period of time where humans rely on technology to complete certain tasks. Unfortunately, certain technology is causing humans to educate their selves and to learn more about their environment and its history. Museums show us what great artifacts we have used or create in the past. It will definitely help us in future when we learn about these pieces of art and the history of the world

After reading the article "Are Museums Still Important in the Digital Age?" I think being in a museum does produce a different human experience than a virtual tour. One reason I think this is because people love being in museums and they like looking and learning about specimens and artifacts in person. According to paragraph 1 and 2 when the National Museum of Brazil caught on fire many Brazilians started a protest. In conclusion, museums do help people get a good human experience and most people like it.

Museums are definitely important and necessary, in order to instill an interest of the past in people and especially the young. I was fortunate to grow up in the pre-digital world so the only way to view artifacts was to visit museums or visit historic sites. It was also a safer time, I spent hours in the museums and historic places around Norwich in the mid 70s rather than have to go with my parents to do the weekly shop. I spent days (on my own) wandering around many of the museums in London whilst my father was attending meetings at his employers head office. These visits gave me an interest in history and desire to know more that has been with me ever since. Whilst not as good as physically standing in front of an artifact, 'virtual tours' have a role to play, they provide an 'in', a means to hook the interests of people who, for what ever reason can not visit a museum or historic site.

I think Museums will always be an important and vital part of a country and worlds society. The reason they are built is to honor and remember the past and see how far our world has evolved, not only that, but they also educate learners about different cultures and old lifestyles through art. Museums are probably the oldest and most classical way immersing yourself and history, and time travel! I mean you could enter a museum in 2018 and end up going all the way back to the 17th century. Though technology has made amazing breakthroughs in the past decade, I don’t think virtual reality will ever be as good as experiencing history first hand. Even if these digital resources won’t be as effective as a real experience, I do believe it has positive effects in the sense that it makes learners more curious about history and our past. With a world worth of history at our fingertips it allows students or just the curious to learn and research more about topics about our past that interest them. I agree one hundred percent that governments should protect our museums. They allow us to remember and learn from our past mistakes, so they do not get repeated. The fire at the National Museum of Brazil was devastating to hear about in the news this past week, so to prevent disasters like this again, I agree with Dr. Parcak’s concluding argument, we need to start prioritizing places that keep our history alive because it benefits both our past and present.

In today’s modern times, we have access to everything needed to educate us about any and every topic through videos, pictures, documents, etc; does this mean there is no longer need for the authentic and irreplaceable pieces of history kept in museums? The digital age has enabled people to view virtual tours of museums rather than go and experience them first hand. In my opinion, museums are still important in today's times because it acts as an escape from our virtual world and allows us to experience something that was real, touched and/or created by someone of vast importance. Although I can recognize the opposing argument being the convenience of technology to look up information, museums present such a unique experience that your phone will never offer and a feeling that brings you into unvisited historical times. Some may think preserving artifacts is useless and a waste of space, however as time passes, these artifacts become even more valuable especially as our world continues to modernize and as people become more reliant on phones. The disastrous fire that burned down the 200 year old National Museum of Brazil was devastating for not only those in that area, but for the rest of the world because we can no longer experience those pieces of history first hand. I therefore agree with Dr. Parcak’s argument proclaiming the immense need for the restoration and preservation of ancient artifacts. Museums are crucial in a modernizing society to remain well educated humans.

Many of you have been dragged into a museum on some school field trip and thought “why am I here.” Many view museums as useless buildings with a few neat paintings in them. Those people do not understand what museums are really about about. Museums share an underrated purpose in our society. Museums aren’t just about looking at paintings and pottery from hundreds of years ago, museums are more of a reflection. They help to answer one of life’s most important questions “how did we get here?” Not only do they show that, they are one of the only places in the world where you can take a first hand and interactive look at the times before us, and how things were. They’re also about remembrance. Germany has turned one of their most infamous concentration camps into a museum to remember the tragedies of the holocaust. It’s a reminder of our past and how we can never let the awful events in the past resurface. Being in a digital tour can not replicate the bone chilling feeling that in the spot you are standing, thousands were killed each day. Sure virtual tours can give us a sense of what happened, but they can not teach the history in a more personal way. Artifacts such as a tower from the Berlin Wall have an aura around them that tells more than a picture of it. This is why museums are important, sure with the internet we can obtain any information online in seconds, the information is a lot different when you see first hand, as real as the entire world around you.

Museums are important because they give you a real experience and views first hand rather than on a phone or desktop. This firsthand experience is valued by many and is a big part of how history is spread throughout the world. The value that the society is provided with is authenticity. This is spread throughout the society by a variety of pieces in history in the same room you are in where you can see it and take in the full effect of it 24/7. For visitors this is a different story, but still people would travel far distances to be able to also witness these pieces in first person. There is a big difference between seeing something on a digital screen and seeing something in first person. There is a deeper meaning when you get the chance to see things in first person. I think digital museums increases the need in people's’ mind for history, but decreases the willingness to go out to a museum and get the full experience. Museums are worth protecting because they are a part of history. Things throughout time has been vanishing and going away slowly but surely and it isn’t good. I think museums should keep a spot in history because they give you a thing to remember in the past.