Does anybody know how I can invest in silence?
I'm betting there will be a time when silence will be a hot commodity.
I realized this last week during a trip back from a conference.
As in most industries, we in the newspaper business go to seminars where we discuss trends, innovation and the future. At this latest conference, I've heard speakers and attendees say that the next generation will never pick up a newspaper, as if kids would break out in hives when they touch newsprint.
Maybe they're right. I see the way teens and 20-somethings use cell phones and smart phones, and I wonder if an ear actually can grow around a cell phone, or if there will be a future arthritic condition known as "texting thumb" ... or maybe "knuckle tunnel."
Seems inevitable.
At The Herald-Mail, a lot of effort is aimed at developing digital content, and rightly so. The Web, text messaging and e-mail alerts offer the newspaper a way to disseminate breaking news. The opportunities for immediate notification are growing every day.