Shortly after my “Aha” moment with Kelly Cutrone, I found myself sitting in on another Scad Style event.  From Magazine to Monitor – The Rise of the Blog panel discussion featured four of the Design Industry leading professionals.  Jaithan Kochar, Nick Olsen, Rita Konig and Eddie Ross discussed their perceptions, thoughts and ideas of just how E-Magazines and blogs impact not only the magazine industry, but our life and the world that we live in as well.  One of the first questions raised was whether or not the rise of the digital world will see the fall of the current print world as we know it today.  I myself have often wondered this.  Everywhere you turn there are digital versions of your favorite newspaper, most magazines have websites and I can’t remember the last time I went to the mall!  Online shopping allows me to visit my favorite stores from the comfort of my home, while still in my pajamas!

The rapid advancements in technology has had a major impact on how we receive information.  It is almost instantaneous now.  The panelists all were in agreement that this instantaneous delivery of information has a definite impact on trends and the desires of consumers.  Before the advent of blogs and such sites as Twitter, consumers had to wait six months or more at times to see what hot trends that magazines were offering for a current season.  Eddie Ross commented that now he can be at an antique shop, great flea market or anywhere else and snap a photo with his phone, upload it to Twitter and followers who receive “tweets” from him can see the latest hot design trend or fabulous new item within minutes.

The panelists also discussed the instantaneous nature of blogs, as opposed to the often stagnate nature of a website.  Blogs also offer consumers, followers and information seekers an almost instant and constant influx of brand new information.  But how much influx of information is too much?  Rita Konig told the audience that if you are going to write a blog, make sure you are giving your readers pertinent information and not just empty prattle.  Having your own point of view was also something that all four panelists were adamant about.  They said that if you are going to blog…then blog about what you are passionate about!  If you are worried about followers – don’t! When you follow your passion, then others who are also passionate about the same things will find you, and they will follow you!

I loved listening to all four of these professionals, not only on their life and careers, but also about their viewpoints and ideas about the world of blogging.  I had the best time and felt that they each had imparted some very valuable information and tips for my own writing and love of seeking and imparting information!  As I sat in on the discussion, I did have questions pop back into my thoughts that I had often discussed with fellow art teachers and friends alike.  Are we, as a society, falling apart because of not only our dependence on technology, but for our need for instant gratification?  As an art teacher, I see it on almost a daily basis.  While I love my students (there isn’t a day that goes by that one or all of them can’t manage to put a smile on my face, no matter how little sleep I’ve had the night before) they are deeply immersed in an instantaneous culture.  I find that they have very little patience or attention span to projects that when done properly can take multiple class sessions.  They want to see the rewards of their finished project almost from the moment that they begin!  I try to explain to them that the creation of art is something that is meant to be nurtured and cultivated; savored and enjoyed.  The creations should bring as much joy to the creator as the finished piece does to the viewer.  They look at me like I’ve just landed from some distant planet and possess three heads!  Seriously?  They don’t know a world without video games, cell phones, microwaves and drive-thru eateries.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am all about my drive through Starbucks!

Have we done a disservice to our younger generations by not instilling in them the same sense of satisfaction in waiting for something that most of us in our 30s, 40s and upwards have learned as an asset?  Have we created a breakdown in not only the ability of people to enjoy the process of something almost as much, if not more than the finished product?  All of these questions I have hashed and rehashed with fellow teachers on many an occasion.  We all say the same thing.  The instant gratification society that we live in has cultivated a generation of fast paced individuals.  Maybe when they are my age, they will realize that there is just as much beauty in slowing down, taking a breath and enjoying the moment!

That having been said…lookout if my internet goes down and I do not have access to the “outside” world! I do not think I could live without my cell phone…I wouldn’t know what to do if I couldn’t have an entire conversation via text messaging! Yep, I too have become a creature of this instant world we live in!  Now I’m off to the game store to look at all the new releases for the THREE gaming consoles I possess!

Photo: Jaithan Kochar, Theresa Jones and Eddie Ross.

Written by Theresa Jones for Chic Galleria magazine.

Tags: blogs, Eddie Ross, internet, Jaithan Kochar, magazine, magazines, Scad