Is Digital News Media Taking Over Print?
A new age for information.
Growing up, I remember my parents asking me each morning to go out to the mailbox, get the newspaper, and bring it inside. I remember every morning that they would sit down at the table, with a cup of coffee in hand, eat breakfast, and read the local newspaper or The Times. Due to this, I developed this notion as a child that an essential key of being an adult was reading the newspaper everyday; and for so long I was so excited for the day when I would be able to do this just like my parents did. However, that small aspiration began to fade away as technology gradually advanced. Over time, I noticed my parents reading the newspaper less and less, and instead turning to technology to tell them what was happening in the world. They eventually cancelled receiving the morning newspaper altogether, and started solely relying on digital media. This story is similar for a large portion of families and individuals, not only in the United States of America, but across the world. So the question is: Is digital media taking over print media?
Before I had a smart phone, the way I, and practically everyone I knew, kept up to date on current events was through radio, television, and the computer. At first I was incredibly disappointed that we would not be receiving the daily newspaper anymore, but when I discovered how resourceful and convenient digital media was when it came to seeking out the latest news and information, I realized that it had a power that print media would not be able to compete with: information on the spot. If you sat down at your computer and went to a website as simple as Yahoo!, you would find that at least every hour or so a new story would be posted. If you sat in your car and kept the radio on all day long, you would hear the latest news being announced every few moments. If you sat on your couch and turned on Channel 7, being broadcasted would be a story that just occurred only a few hours before.
However, now that “Apps” are a part of our world, we have access to information and news at our fingertips on our smart phones. If we want to stay on top of our stocks, there are Apps such as WSJ Live where you can watch the stock market from wherever you are and even receive notifications if any major changes occur. If you want to stay up to date on the latest news, there are Apps such as TIME Mobile or ABC News where you can request to receive updates on news stories that you add into your favorites.
Digital media is changing the way we think and keeping us informed every step of the way, every day of our lives. Every minute, more and more information is being provided to us so that we can remain sophisticated and up to date individuals in order to make educated decisions in the complicated world that we live in today; and as technology continues to advance, our biggest concern should only be that we maintain and uphold our right to press, our right to be informed, our right to consume knowledge about the daily occurrences around us, and even on the other side of the globe.
