Studies

Studies

by Mike Masnick




Baby Boomers Prefer The Printed Page

from the no-surprise-there dept

I doubt this is a surprise to anyone, but the older you are, the more likely it is you prefer to read your news on paper. It's simply a matter of habit. People who grew up reading newspapers every day are comfortable reading newspapers. Those who are used to only accessing news online don't see why they should bother picking up a paper. Of course, plenty of people seem to straddle both worlds, reading lots of news online, but still flipping through their local paper. While I no longer read any paper newspapers, I do agree that it is a different process, and you probably do end up catching more stories serendipitously than when surfing news online. However, online, you have a much wider field of articles to choose from, and can find stories you would never see in your local newspaper.

5 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Sep 4th, 2003 @ 12:22pm
  • No Subject Given

    by 2lazy2register

    Both online and printed news have their place. I read the online Worldnet Daily but I also read the L. A. Times as well as many (printed) magazines. It is hard to take my desktop computer into the bathroom and read the news (and comics) while I am doing my thing.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Sep 4th, 2003 @ 12:31pm
  • RE: Baby Boomers Prefer The Printed Page

    by Cream

    You ignore the fact that newspapers will still be accessible over time, whereas online news sources (being digital) may not. Paper, though maybe more of a bother than going online for news, will probably outlast any digital format.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Sep 4th, 2003 @ 12:34pm
  • Newspapers VRS Internet

    by Anonymous Coward

    It totally depends on what situation I am in. I can be @ work and want to read the newspaper because it is a distraction from the computer and yet @ the same time I am happy to have the instant gratification of numerous websites available via the internet. Both mediums have their place and I doubt you will see the " newspaper " disappear until digital ink is perfected. I sure don't want to lug my computer into the bathroom while I take a dump and read ...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Sep 5th, 2003 @ 1:55am
  • paper quicker

    by Anonymous Coward

    In my experiments newspapers are quicker to scan on paper than with DSL -- much of this due to the terrible online newspaper user interfaces.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Sep 6th, 2003 @ 10:15am
  • No Subject Given

    by John Deere

    It's just easier to flip pages and find things in a paper than it is to drill down through several layers of poorly designed interface, only to find the article is "for subscribers only". This kind of stuff distracts me from the content.
    The only exception to this rule is Barron's. You can find stuff faster in the ruins of Pompeii than you can in Barron's.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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