Print or Digital?

Recently I read an article about how Playboy was considering the idea of discontinuing their print magazine so they could focus on other brand-related projects.

When I mentioned this to a colleague, he shrugged and replied that the move made sense  since everyone was "going digital".

I do recognize that folks find pleasure in watching movies on their mobile device or reading a book on a Kindle. The ability to take media with you from place to place without having something "else" to carry can be appealing for those who want to travel light.

But I have yet to find an instance where I preferred reading an article on my mobile device over reading the actual, printed medium.

I LIKE carrying a book from one room to the other. I like placing a bookmark in it, and seeing just far I've come (or how far I've yet to go) when I pick it up again. I like underlining or highlighting when I'm reviewing a textbook. I like the feel of the pages in a new book.

I LIKE the full size of photos when I read a magazine. This is not specific to Playboy magazine, but you can see the appeal. I like the vibrance of the colors and how they may change in certain lighting. But more importantly, I like that the picture is larger than anything my phone or iPad can display.

I don't want to "scroll" to move up or down an article. I want to turn the page. And if I think I forgot something, I want to HOLD the page as I look back 2 pages. I don't want or need to scroll THROUGH a photo in order to keep reading an article.

I like the way my books and magazines look in a bookcase. Yes, a minimalist will say that they take up valuable space. I ENJOY the space they are taking up. Some folks hang art work or framed Jerseys. I love the library in my home, and I like finding the book I want to (re) read just by scanning the spines.

Am I in the minority? Probably. Today people want to carry less....and they arguably read less. But I enjoy treating printed word as more than just an ends to a means. I don't read because I 'have' to...I read because I enjoy it.  And holding that book or magazine in my hands as I leaf through the pages is part of the journey.

I understand from a business standpoint that there are costs involved in printed media, and if they are not generating a profit then at some point you need to cut your losses. But if Playboy goes the route of "exclusively digital", 'll miss more than just a 16 x 11 centerfold. It will be one more victim in the murder of printed media...and from a higher level it will be a shame.