There are active and passive parts of our day. Without getting into too much psychobabble, as you get older the passive side needs more nourishment. It’s not really passive. It’s focused absorption. At some point you have to climb out of your frenetic digital nest and concentrate on one thing. It might be reading a book, watching a TV show or movie, listening to music, looking out the window.
Or immersing yourself in a magazine.
This isn’t ‘down time’ (that would be sleeping), but nourishing your psyche by absorbing and not actively being involved in what you’re doing.
…. And the more people use smartphones, the less they’ll tolerate silly graphical doodads mucking up their small screens.
Tablets will become much bigger, lighter, and will be on your coffee table. You’ll lie on the couch and pick it up, reading your favorite magazines, newspapers, or whatever. A passive experience. Simple, straightforward advertising will not be considered invasive.
… That adds up to a reading experience that is more like a 21st-century cacophony than a traditional solitary activity. And some of the millions of consumers who have bought tablets and sampled e-books on apps from Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble have come away with a conclusion: It’s harder than ever to sit down and focus on reading.
Back to my point about magazines: People subscribe to and buy special-interest magazines not only to read the articles, but to peruse the ads for products related to their interests. Women reading Oprah Magazine, the PLUS Magazines in Europe and Canada want to know about the latest in fashion, make-up, food, exercise and health products. People subscribed to National Geographic or Smithsonian want to know about themed vacations, museums, luggage, and traveling products/services.
Digital interruptions are headache-inducing. Not so with magazines. Advertisements are welcomed and appreciated. They are integral, seamless extensions of the magazine experience.