Page 75 - DP20-2.qxd

editor has the last word
Magazines and changing reading habits
Dr. SuShant umre
While digital
platforms have
changed the
landscape of
publishing, there
are still several
very good reasons
why hard copy
magazines remain
relevant, especially
in our field.
I have noticed off late that many of my environmental considerations, and economic
acquaintances talk about my writings in viability. As someone who has contributed as
this column. Evidently, many of them have an editor to this journal for over two decades,
received digital copies of our magazine. It’s it’s natural to question the relevance of hard
wonderful to hear that one’s writings have copy dental magazines in today’s digital age.
garnered attention and sparked discussions While digital platforms have changed the
among friends and colleagues. This indicates landscape of publishing, there are still several
that your content resonates with readers and very good reasons why hard copy dental
has the power to engage and inspire others magazines remain relevant, especially in
within your network. our field. For instance, hard copies provide a
Indeed, the experience of reading a new tangible format that many researchers find
issue of a magazine was once a valued pleasure easier to navigate, annotate, and reference
compared to digital formats. Printed articles
for most of us. The anticipation of what
awaited within its pages, the tactile sensation can be highlighted and bookmarked, allowing
of flipping through glossy sheets, and the for efficient retrieval of information.
discovery of articles, stories, and images held Also, printed journals offer a sense of
a special appeal. permanence and reliability that digital
It might be nostalgia at play here, colouring
formats may not always guarantee, while some
our memories of the past, infusing them with researchers simply prefer the experience of
a sense of longing for simpler times. Yet, it’s reading and engaging with printed materials.
important to recognize that the evolution of Hard copy magazines often carry a sense of
authority and professionalism that digital
media reflects broader shifts in technology,
culture, and consumption habits. While the content may not always convey. When
experience of reading a physical magazine illustrating cases in dental journals, the quality
does evoke fond memories, there is still joy to of images is paramount and the clarity and
be found in the act of reading and discovering
resolution of images on online and digital
new content, regardless of the medium. platforms is often questionable.
In today’s digital age, where information Hard copy magazines also offer advertisers
is instantly accessible and there has been a a tangible platform to showcase products
noticeable transition to online platforms, the and services to a targeted audience. Print
experience has undeniably changed. While advertisements can be strategically placed to
the convenience and accessibility of digital maximize visibility and impact among readers.
media offer their own perks, they often lack the Despite the digital revolution and the
physical and immersive qualities of their print widespread availability of scientific literature
predecessors. online, hard copies still hold significant
For as long as I can remember, having a importance in the realm of academia and
variety of glossy magazines in waiting areas research. Perhaps we will have to settle with
has been a common practice in many places. a hybrid order, with digital as well as printed
Doctor’s offices, dental clinics, salons, and copies. During the covid lockdown, when the
other establishments where waiting is almost print version of this publication was ceased for
obligatory, magazines served as a form of a couple of months, we received hundreds of
entertainment and distraction, to alleviate calls and messages from our readers enquiring
boredom and anxiety. about their print copies even though the digital
Indeed, the prevalence of smartphones and version had been sent to all of them. What
tablets has led to a shift in the preferences of better proof of the relevance of the hard copy.
waiting individuals, who may now be more Finally, my take is, that alongside fostering
inclined to seek out digital entertainment professional development, printed magazines
rather than engage with traditional print serve as tangible archives of dental knowledge
media. and advancements. They provide a historical
Thus, future of printed magazines and record of trends, innovations, and best
journals is a topic of ongoing debate, influenced practices within the field of dentistry, serving
by various factors such as technological as valuable resources for future generations of
advancements, shifting consumer preferences, dental professionals. n
Dental Practice i March-April 2024 i Vol 20 No 2 75