There are other factors involved. Not that books aren't essential, but the dynamic is different; it's harder to find information, and a 20-year-old book will address a topic in the way the world was back then. The world is constantly changing, and certain types of information need to be updated. Of course, not everything on the internet is viable, but even books could be found there. The big question is how the current generation deals with so much accessibility but, at the same time, so many distractions from what's truly essential.