Magazines in the Digital Age

There is value in the printed word

Evolution is a necessary aspect of business. With a landscape of ever-changing technological advancements and innovative ways to conduct business, companies must adapt to survive to reach and retain clients and customers. Though this notion is far from new, forecasting change has been complicated by the rise of artificial intelligence, which will
force us all to amend our five-year plans to stay competitive. 

Magazines are not immune to the changing times. Firmly in the middle of the digital age, you might feel a twinge of irony reading a letter from an editor in a printed magazine, discussing the need to adapt to the times. Life (In Print: 1936-2007), Parents (1926-2022), and The Washington Post Magazine (1986-2022) have joined the increasing list of magazines ceasing regular print editions in favor of a digital format. 

Nonetheless, I posit that there is still a market for print. According to News/Media Alliance, 87 percent (223.6 million people) of the adult population in the United States reads at least one magazine over a six-month period. The research also showed that print ads often yield a higher ROI (return on investment) than digital media and that people prefer the feel of the pages between their fingers to reading on a screen.

Additionally, a large meta-analysis in Spain published in 2023 involving 469,564 participants over a 22-year period showed lower comprehension and knowledge retention for readers with a digital copy of stories versus those who read printed materials. The study included e-magazines, e-books, and e-comics, as well as blogs, websites, and forums. Continued comprehension is greater across one’s lifespan for those who pick up printed materials.  

Competition for writers is fierce. 

With AI now “writing” up to
5.8 percent of news articles, we are inundated with more literature than we can consume in at least 10 lifetimes. According to a report from University Hospitals, doomscrolling—the act of constant consumption of digital media—worsens the effects of anxiety and depression, reinforces negative thoughts and feelings, can cause sleep problems, and increases stress hormones. 

We pick up our phones and tablets, let the internet puke words and images into our minds, then we instantly forget most of what we saw, feeling worse and losing sleep. Why? 

Dopamine. This feel-good chemical is a neurotransmitter responsible for reward, motivation, and pleasure, released in our brains when we stare at the pretty lights, but it turns out that constant stimulation can destroy our attention spans and inhibit our ability to focus in the long term. We treat our media like a short-term drug, needing a constant fix to feel good, all the while losing knowledge, mental acuity, and much-needed slumber. 

My challenge to those reading these words—written by a Luddite human who refuses to ever give up his pen—especially those seeing it through lights projected on a screen, would be to pick up a printed magazine or book and unplug. Replace your doomscrolling with leisure reading at least twice per week. 

In a month, when you are less anxious and more mentally connected to your life, you will thank me. 

In this issue, we take a deeper look at the business of small business in Northwest Florida. We have a section on getting started with tips on how your passion and products can become an entity in Florida. We share stories from some of our local favorites, some with more than two decades of longevity, looking behind the scenes and discussing what made them successful. We finish with words of wisdom from these business owners in our Closing Bell. 

As always, thank you for reading.

Editor, David Ekrut