18 Sep 2007, Written by Paul M Davis in society

Lies, Damned Lies and Uncontectualized Generalizations about ‘Youth Habits’

Mark Glaser at PBS’ generally-excellent media blog Mediashift breaks down the two major camps in the debate over the print-to-digital transition. He makes the distinction of older readers who still prefer the tactile appeal of print (among other factors) and younger readers who prefer the networked, get-it-anywhere-for-free qualities of Internet content. He’s not wrong about the shift–it’s certainly happening–but I still can’t shake the feeling that print is going through what economists euphemistically call a “correction”, not a slow death.

He makes a point made often in these discussions about youth’s content-consuming habits:

…the younger set finds what they want through social networks and be-friending their favorite bands on MySpace. The digital natives don

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Paul M Davis is a Chicago-based freelance writer obsessed with the media, class and arcade-style video golf. He is also the editor of Is Greater Than. His personal site can be found at www.paulmdavis.com.

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