I am a publication addict and my habit is becoming expensive. Rarely do I have the will power to walk past a News-stand without my hands twitching to buy the latest edition of Harpers Bazaar, Interview or TIME magazine. My coffee table is choca block with archived publications that I will never part with. I have cajoled myself into believing they must remain there for visitors to flick through while I make a cuppa in the next room. To prove my publication point, please raise your hand if you are a friend who flicks through magazines while another is otherwise occupied...Thought so.
It is not only the magazines which cost a small fortune that catch my eye, it's the freebies that are distributed at underground stations for your journey home: Stylist and Shortlist. My publication passion stems from my obsession with culture and need for current affairs across all realms. More so in print than any other form. At the risk of sounding like an 80 year old Grandmother; it's a dying art. Digital magazines and newspapers are the new age, but contrary to my hearty belief here I am writing online from my wireless laptop while reaching out to virtual readers. Let me expand the pro points of digital publications that even I - a 20 year old something with an 80 year old soul - find desirable.
There is an ease to conquering your daily tasks online: food shopping, gift buying, subscription renewal. Nowadays magazines are a one way stop to catering for all of lives needs. Red carved the way for magazine shopping with Red Direct, Elle Decor followed suit and Lucky magazine are the latest publication to jump on the retail band wagon with their upcoming launch this Spring. If you are looking for an excuse to avoid the mayhem of Oxford Street shops or the suffocation of Westfield then magazine retail is for you.
The social media aspect to online publications is one of their biggest assets and personal pulls. When boredom strikes or train journeys take their toll I find myself refreshing my Twitter and Instagram feeds to catch what the world is talking about. Two hours later when boredom has subsided and numbness sets in, I could rhyme off tales from Gwyneth Paltrow or Yeezus' controversial lives.
Lunch break in an office set up can be tedious enough without trekking to fight the hungry masses for a copy of your favourite magazine. Save the online version to your favourites, and with one tap your publication world will come alive without any crowd anguish or umbrella diving. PLUS, you don't need to fork out £5 for Vogue to be shared around the office returning to yourself in a dishevelled condition.
As a form of research, digital magazines assist in navigating an old featured topic quicker than print publications. Often I'm inspired by a current feature and wish to dig further to explore the subject. Whether it's the magazine I have my hands on or an alternative, their online search engine steers you to the desired information without slogging through 300 plus of printed pages.
Copying and pasting articles to your friends. Turning down pages of a magazine is an annoying habit of mine, but I seldom return with the aim of passing on the ripped out page. Instantly share a gripping feature or recipe with friends and win brownie points for brightening their day.
Although my vision of reading Country Living in my rocking chair is quickly fading, I remain optimistic towards the balance of what I receive from both print and digital publications. I'll continue to part with my cash for the print version because I wouldn't want my coffee table to feel rejected. However, I will secretly cheer lead for the thriving digital world in the hope that readers will like and share what I've had to say.