The Future of Reading

As we talked about during our presentation today, it is becoming harder and harder to access written materials–especially with the lure of the internet with its endless possibilities at your fingertips. Everyone seems to prefer written publications, but no one (especially college students) like to pay for them. At what point do we pony up and really pay for the tangible materials?                                              

But enough of an anti-technology rant. When it comes to magazines and newspapers, there is a real tactile experience that goes along with them. I love the ink that stains my fingers from the newspaper, and the way it crinkles when my dad folds it in one hand while sipping his coffee. Something about newspapers just brings me back to mornings. And magazines, well, they come is many shapes and sizes. From Cosmo to Archaeology Magazine, there is so much material out there for every kind of reader, and it is specialized to a point that you know exactly what you're getting yourself into just by the front cover. Sometimes there are even bonus fold-outs, like the old National Geographic maps or perfume testers...

But regardless of what you are reading, whether it's the New York Times or Highlights for Kids, you're sitting down and reading. You're not scrolling, barely skimming articles. There is a really big difference between reading online and reading a physical publication. While e-readers and nooks are quickly blurring that line, it's difficult, and a little scary, to think about where the future of reading is going.