DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

                                                         Ushering in Our Digital Environment

 

Oral to print was a revolutionary transition into a different medium that was leaps and bounds greater than its predecessor; digital is an attempt to make that transition once again. Print vs. Digital, an argument about which is a better medium for reading, is not really an argument about which is “better”, because digital has print beat in just about every aspect; it is however an argument for why we should continue to read in print. The only valid arguments for keeping the New York Times in print are, there is a certain validity and prestige that goes along with reading a newspaper and the negative economic impact cancelling print would have if circulation ceases.


In fact when it comes to the New York Times as a text, the online version is more interactive, convenient and adaptive for our needs and therefore should be our first choice when it comes to reading the New York Times. Others may argue that digital isn’t the best way for us to read because of the dissonance between us and the text due to “resolution, comprehension, attention, and memory”. However, the problem here does not lie with digital as a way of reading but with us. Not us as a reader, or as a New York Times reader but with us as a human race due to the generation component. We have yet to fully adapt into our new digital environment but the tools to interact with it are all present.

           

Networking and sharing has gradually become primary necessary tools to survive, and digital provides the environment for interactions with these tools. The options on one digital New York Times article are endless compared to zero interactions possible with print. By this I not only mean interactions between the user and the text but also between other users. On the right hand side of each online New York Times article there is an option to share the article with friends through social networking sites such as Facebook, twitter and Google plus, and therefore continue the conversation. The New York Times also makes it possible for readers to interact with one another in their comment section, which for the most part are very enlightening.


My favorite feature is the save option in which it is possible make a collection of every article you have read or find interesting. This can also be done with the print version but it is much more inconvenient. We no longer have to read through page through page skimming for things that interest us. The online version really lets the reader drive their own bus and decide what they want to read. By allowing readers to search through their database of articles, the New York Times has made their online version more rewarding for curious readers in need of a fix.


Every article read by the reader online goes into making a profile for the reader, in which suggested articles are listed on the right hand side along with trending articles.  Furthermore, online you are able to follow links to the articles being referenced or look them up in a different tab with ease. We expect more from New York Times readers and a couple clicks should be no problem when it comes to reading compared to reading a print newspaper.

           

As I tried to read my issue of this Sunday’s New York Times I found it to be clunky and unappealing compared to its slicker, and faster online counterpart. The large paper could barely fit on my messy desk, while my laptop sat perfectly in my bed with the article I choice already on the screen and on my phone inches away the same article shined on its brightly lit screen. To be fair one of the appealing aspects of reading a newspaper is the ritual involved. You cannot simply read a newspaper; it has to be an event in which you forfeit your attention and time. 


This however is also its downfall. People are different, not everyone has the time needed to read an entire newspaper and therefore the digital version is better because it allows us to read articles individually in the spare time we do have. Transitioning to reading online is an easy task for anyone familiar with social networking sites.  We have reached a time in which people demand their news on time and in short spurts. Digital provides up to date news with headlines that are influenced by breaking news and still holds the same validity as the print version because they are from the same credible source. The bombing during the Boston Marathon is an example of how digital has come to beat print. From the act to the capture of the suspect the online version reported the news before print.  There are certain drawbacks, such as, to get that news a phone or computer was required with access to the Internet. However, once you do have access to the Internet your articles and New York Times goes wherever you go.

           

Due to our nature, there is not one style or way of reading that is perfect for everyone but the digital version of the New York Times allows their readers to control their own experience. The layout for the digital version of the New York Times can be changed depending on preferences. They have a tab for their homepage, which is a picture into the headline of each of the sections, and then there is today’s paper, video and most popular all different tabs with different ways of exploring the same articles according to preference. The category section is not anything new since the print version also has one but the online version does allow sub categories that are much more accessible.


The New York Time skimmer, a tool for organizing today’s articles, gives reader a different experience when reading or searching. Or we can read articles individually by searching for specific topics and in contrast to the print version the search results will include articles from different days, months and time periods. Not to mention the app version of the New York Times and the online browser version for mobile phones. Each one is customizable and fits the needs of its reader by adapting to him or her. A perfect example of how the New York Times adapts to its reader is through its recommendations based on preferences. It tracks our reading and preferences and adapts to it.

           

We are slowly adapting to our online environment through the tools we use, not so long ago touch screens were completely foreign and weird for people but have now become the norm when it comes to phones. My argument focused solely on The New York Times because other texts have not made the transition as well as the NYT. In the case of reading a book phones, tablets and laptops may not be the best option due to the strain it has on our eyes but with right tools such as an E reader, reading becomes much more bearable. Also a study recently done by Annette Kujawski Taylor, found that students learn equally well from digital as from paperbound text^1 In the case of the articles, however not much is required from us and it is much more manageable compared to long text.


People are already spending much more time, 26 hours a week according to WSL retail study^2, on the Internet therefore the argument of the strain it has and possible negative effects fall on deaf ears.  The argument for social interactions while reading print relies heavily on coincidence, statistical anomalies. It would be great to meet someone through print interactions but we need to face the truth that it won’t ever happen and therefore the tool that is the most convenient and at our disposal should be our first choice.  Print remains one dimensional and simple. It doesn’t have the bells or whistles that its online counterpart has and will therefore never be able to compete; digital is in a class of his own. Refusal to adapt will result in a failure to strive, let Blockbuster, Borders, and Tower Records serve as example of this failure. Don’t get left behind.

 

1.Annette, K., Taylor (2011, Oct 6). Students Learn Equally Well From Digital as From Paperbound Texts. Retrieved from http://top.sagepub.com.ezproxy1.lib.depaul.edu/content/38/4/278.full.pdf+html

 

2.MarketingCharts staff (2013, Jan 21) Millennials Up Their Time Online. Retrieved from http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp/interactive/millennials-up-their-time-online-26405/

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.