New Generation: Paper Magazines Are so Passé
There’s a new Apple related video that’s been making its way around the Internet since yesterday, showing an iPad loving one-year-old baby that’s unable to figure why a conventional magazine isn’t working the same way her iPad does.
In the video, the baby demonstrates her ability to swipe and gesture on an iPad screen, gurgling over the pretty colors and shapes that she can interact with. Shortly after, her parents supply her with a magazine, which she pokes and prods in the same way.
So does this signal the end of the print industry? Will our children even know what a magazine is? Will magazines and other printed publications turn into a distant memory, like 8-tracks and cassette tapes?
Maybe. Undoubtedly, that iPad is far more entertaining than a print magazine, and will likely continue to be a staple in her life as she grows up. Digital media will be her go-to entertainment, but that’s not necessarily true of all children. There are plenty of people without access to iPads, and plenty of parents who eschew digital forms of books and magazines, preferring the smell of paper and ink.
Plus, if you’ve ever encountered a one-year-old baby before, you’ve probably noticed that they’re pretty touchy-grabby in general. The baby makes the same gestures that she makes on her iPad, but generally, babies tend to grasp and poke at everything, so this may not mean that she thinks a magazine is an iPad. Don’t worry, print lovers. She’s still turning pages, a uniquely print-based function, so there’s hope left yet.