Cell Phones: The Next Major Battleground

The introduction of the Internet and the cell phone has dramatically transformed the very core of the world of conventional media. The honeymoon between the Internet and the cell phone has now become a necessity in media, and the world of publishing is no exception. But can the publishing industry really make good use of this new infrastructure? We asked Satoshi Iwamoto, operating officer and general manager of Shogakukan Net Media Center.

- Will printed media decrease even more than it already has?

I don't think we have to have paper in order to have publications. Whether it's tapes, disks, sounds or images, I don't believe there will be any actual change in the content. What we are developing now is not paper-based printing, but the creation of content for publication. In other words, what we do is editing, which has profitable value. Whether it's packaged in paper format or digitally doesn't matter. Still, I don't think printed media is suddenly going to disappear.

- Do you think the next generation of readers will not be particularly attached to paper?

That's the way it seems to be going. Young people today have no problem reading comics on their cell phones. In the past, people on trains would be reading paperbacks or newspapers, but now it's not just the younger generation staring at their cell phone screens. More than just being a matter of convenience, it's about the right tool for the job, and cell phones have clearly become mainstream.

- Do you think that the next generation of readers will have the ability to get information off the small screen on their cell phones without feeling any stress about it?

It's not that. I think it's because the cell phone screen is small that it's comfortable. They don't even have to move their eyes. I've heard that recently, movie screens have become smaller too. There are also a number of researchers hypothesizing that young people are starting to feel they don't want to put up with big things.

- Do you think the present retired generation of baby boomers supports printed media?

In some cases, I think baby boomers are among the first to be exposed to digital media. Japan is the only country in the world where large numbers of retirees use keyboards and access the Internet. In fact, there are many in the senior stratum who support digital magazines. The magazines concerned about "LOHAS" (Lifestyles Of Health And Sustainability) also has many people who feel a digital format is better for the environment than a printed version.

- From this point, what kinds of changes can we expect to see in cell phones?

The biggest problems with cell phones are memory and connection speeds, but these are being resolved. When this happens, cell phones will become the next major battleground in Japan. In the publishing world, we have to move quickly and think more seriously about making use of cell phones.


*Some of the book titles are tentative translations.
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