Breakfast in the post-newspaper age
Like many American families we recently stopped taking the newspaper.
This has changed my morning routine. Instead of sitting with a cup of coffee and the morning paper I launch basic news sites like Google News and the BBC from my browser before heading into the world.
My wife does the same thing, only from her desk at work. (Picture by Rick Tango from The American Feast, a sustainable food blog.)
Weekends are different. I head for the TV, she opens a book. Guess what's missing? News.
The more important question is always what about the children. Unlike the suburbanites profiled in The New York Times, my kids don't automatically reach for Blackberries or cell phones. They just go about their business, eating breakfast, doing chores, and brushing their teeth.
When my daughter has her morning beverage it's with the TV on. By the time my son has his it's often afternoon. But he did ask me recently what movies were playing, because he had no obvious way of knowing. (Fandango, I said.)
But there's a lot missing from these mornings, things I used to take for granted. The comics, for one thing. Comics.com is not the same experience. Clicking over to Dilbert.com is not the same as its being here.
I could say I miss my late local news, but then I remember that the paper stopped sending people to cover government ages ago. I really don't care about traffic jams or accidents, and if I lived out in the suburbs I'd have a radio for that.
My point is there is a lot missing here. There should be a lot of opportunities here, like short customized papers (including your favorite comics) that would print out as you woke up. I see an opportunity for e-mail newsletters by people who actually did go to the local government meetings, and take notes (or just have a take).
What do you see? How do you think your mornings will be five years from now, when all the newspapers are gone, all your Internet devices turn-on instantly, and all the displays are above average?
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com