The days of waking up to find the paper on the front porch and read it during breakfast have become scarce. Now, we get alerts on our phones about the latest news or flip through the television to see what’s going in the world. While staying informed is what matters, can ‘outdated’ forms of print media such as newspapers stay relevant among the new generations of students?

Students are obtaining their information and resources through social media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and the countless blogs that continue to populate the Internet.

“I can’t remember the last time I read a newspaper,” said psychology major Teddi Thyfault, 18. “I mostly watch the news on TV or skim articles online.”

Even with the newspaper publication of the Student Voice, students opt for reading the news on their phone or going online to get the information they need or want. So what is it about paper that is pushing students away? Is the newspaper becoming extinct?

“Reading the news online is just more convenient. Students are heavily engaged in social media and it is becoming an effective outlet for news,” said Journalism professor Karen Choi. “(But) it’s not always about efficiency and ease, sometimes the experience is reason enough to choose print over online.”

Although online newspaper publications are what bring in the young demographics, it may not be enough to sustain the tangibility of an actual paper. Consequently, newspaper distribution has declined substantially over the past few years.

According to a study by the Newspaper Association of America, “rapidly declining advertising revenues continue to be the industry’s core problem—the losses in 2011 were slightly worse than those of 2010 – 7.3% compared to 6.3%.”

Newspapers have struggled to remain germane in the digital age, competing with social media, blogs, television, smart phone, tablets, and even radio. The newspaper industry can fight to captivate their audiences, but the truth of the matter is that digital media provides the interactivity and immediacy that print media cannot.

The feel, smell, and look of a newspaper are unique elements that built and maintained the popularity and worth of the first news source. While print media may be somewhat on its way out, it is up to the young readers, especially students, to preserve its importance and legacy throughout the digital age.