Americans enjoy reading as much as ever. But the format in which they read is rapidly changing.
For young adults under thirty, 33% get their news online compared to just 13% from newspapers.
In 2000, 47% of people read printed newspapers. Today the percentage is only 23%.
In 2000, 26% of people said they read print magazines. Today the percentage has dropped to 18%.
55% of New York Times readers say they read it on a computer or mobile device.
Print books are being replaced with digital books. The Association of American Publishers reported that in the first quarter of 2012, adult eBook sales were up to $282.3 million while adult hardcover sales came to only $229.6 million.
Today's kids are growing up immersed in the digital world. For them, the shift is not even a shift...it's what they have always known.
What does this mean for Children's Ministry?
You will continue to see the shift toward kids (and adults) reading the Bible on tablets and other mobile devices. Not the stone tablets of Moses. Digital tablets. They are easier to carry and weigh a lot less than stone tablets. (my attempt at humor)
Communication with parents will continue to shift from the printed page to digital. Printed communication will continue to be replaced with mobile apps, text, Facebook, etc.
Registration for classes, events, etc. will continue to move from the printed page to digital. The pen will continue to be replaced by the touch screen or the keyboard.
Curriculum delivery will continue to shift from print to downloadable.
Normally the church lags behind a few years. We will continue to see these changes take place rapidly in society as a whole and gradually in the church.
What other changes do you see happening in Children's Ministry due to the demise of the printed page? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
