Will there still be paper magazines in planes in the future, or will they be replaced by touch screens? Airbus would indeed like to remove the paper magazines from its planes and propose instead digital magazines, according to an information revealed by Gizmodo this summer.
Airbus would consider turning to Oled screens to replace paper. The touch screens would have the advantage of offering several possibilities of use: reading a magazine, watching a movie, listening to music, surfing on the Internet, or ordering food. Airbus is collaborating on the development of this project with Royole Technology, a company specializing in human-machine interfaces and flexible screens.
For Airbus, this technology certainly represents a logistical advantage. No more need to print magazines, to have a stock, and to replace damaged copies. In addition, the risk of offering out-of-date content or information would disappear.
Nevertheless, we can regret the disappearance of paper when it comes to reading. As many studies show, reading on paper and on screen is not the same and does not require the same attention.
The principle of F-reading (on screens)
Jakob Nielsen, a specialist in ergonomics and web design, theorized the way we read on a screen. He highlighted the concept of F-reading.
The reader reads the first paragraph carefully, the second more quickly, and then loses attention. He then scans the page in search of content that will revive his attention, attract him. He will then reread a little more carefully. Then he will scan until the end of the page. In the end, the accumulated glances on the page form a kind of F.
According to this analysis, paper remains unquestionably the best medium to offer a rigorous, attentive and in-depth reading of information. Far from opposing each other, print and digital complement each other: long reading on paper enriches the immediacy of the web.
