Digital Media vs. Print Media

When you wake up in the morning, what’s one of the first things that you do? Do you head outside to pick the paper off the stoop, or do you hop online to see the latest news bits from overnight? Well, people still do both, but digital media is quickly becoming a very popular option.

Up-to-date Information

Sure, the newspaper tells you what is going on “now” in the general sense; however, the Internet can literally give you a play by play as a story is unfolding. People choose digital media because they can find out what is happening at that exact moment. Furthermore, they don’t have to wait for the newspaper to come; they can log on to the web at any time via a computer or smart phone.

Ease of Access

As mentioned earlier, people can access the Internet at practically any time of the day. Furthermore, digital media is becoming more popular because individuals can just type in what they are looking for. If they want to know about the car accident on Main Street, they can type that phrase plus the town into the search box on Google. Instead of flipping through a paper searching for a news bit that might take up only a small space, they can immediately find details about the situation.

The Green Movement

Most people know that environmentally friendly movements are gaining speed. Printing millions of papers every day obviously causes a lot of waste, especially when people do not recycle their papers. Subscription cards often get thrown into the garbage when they tumble out of magazines. Therefore, environmentalists are pushing for as many paperless products as possible.

You might think that the movement can be reversed simply by having everyone recycle. However, in addition to being impractical to enforce, that will not reduce the amount of trees that are killed to make paper. Instead of destroying the environment to read the news, people can simply hop on to the computer to check on the latest developing stories, sports scores and so forth.

Reader Feedback

If you had a comment about a particular news story, do you think you’d be more likely to write in if you had to find paper, write a note, address it, buy a stamp and go to the mailbox or if you could submit a note via an electronic drop box? Many people would probably opt for the latter. Furthermore, many news stories allow people to comment at the end of them, providing a platform for valuable reader input. Digital media also creates a platform for more jobs. Freelance writers, photographers and videographers have a new venue in which they can produce their content and work.

Digital media is gaining a strong hold over society, as most people who have the Internet use it in some capacity whether they realize it or not. It’s simple, environmentally friendly and convenient, and people do not have to exert much effort to find the top news stories. Will digital media continue to reign supreme in the future, or will traditionalists return to power? Only time will tell.

– By Michael Truman

*About the Author: Michael Truman writes about business & finance at www.dentalinsurance.net.

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