WHY WE SHOULD PICK UP THE MAGAZINE AND PUT DOWN THE PHONE

Long time, no blog, in fact, no socials. I without realising naturally took some time off scrolling through socials and instead decided to re-focus my energy on working out, doing some DIY around the house and OK, binge-watching Netflix. I recently got inspired by the Netflix hit American TV series, “The Bold Type”. Three career-driven young American Women who work for an award-winning fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine, Scarlet. 

The Bold Type does a phenomenal job of representing important real-life topics, such as race; gender equality, sexual orientation and politics in America. In my opinion Sex and the city meets Devil wears Prada with a meaningful spin. 

During the first season, the publication sector goes through a huge change and some niche jobs are cut, redundancies are made and offices are forced to close. It got me thinking though, what a shame it would be for the digital world to destroy the traditional but modern means of publications, communication, and writing. Whether you’re a fashion lover, sports fanatic or expert baker, there has always a place for your interests in the pages of many newspapers and magazines. Yes, I do feel like a hypocrite slightly as this blog post is encouraging you to pick up your phone, but that’s for a bigger conversation, another day. 

It’s a luxury that we still have the option of stepping away from the screen to pick up a magazine. I wonder, how much longer will we have that option?. Whilst we can’t deny or stop the drastic changes other sectors are being forced to go through right now. Maybe we, as consumers can contribute towards the longevity of publications and traditional media outlets. 

You could start by choosing to access your monthly subscription through the post, rather than through your emails. You might decide to go out and pick up Cosmopolitan Grazia or Elle, rather than swiping up’ to read on Instagram. If we physically can access them, then why wouldn’t we?. I believe, we have all taken away something different from each lockdown but surely we have all have a common appreciation of real life, over virtual. 

Since first taking an interest in writing this blog post; I had the pleasure of an outside socially distanced coffee with my elderly neighbour Sue. I learnt that as a young single mother, she found herself looking for a job, and an opening came up at Waterstones; the first store based here: in Cambridge. Sue spoke so highly about her working life, how passionate she became about books and how she felt as though a phone could never replace the feeling of holding a book, the smell or the motion of turning the page.

We probably don’t realise that it’s always nice to have options, maybe we’ve taken how accessible everything we want is, for granted. So, next time you decide to buy your favourite read do it by, picking up the magazine, and putting down the phone. 

Love H x