If you have children then you probably don’t have to fight with them for the right to read the newspaper. After all, our daily papers aren’t exactly aimed at the younger reader. However, this could be about to change in the future.
A new augmented reality app for smartphones has been developed in Japan in order for kids to get more pleasure out of newspapers.
It was created by the Japanese advertising agency Dentsu in conjunction with one of the country’s most popular newspapers, The Tokyo Shimbun, and it is known as AR News.
A video made to show off the app says that it will “create a future for old media newspapers”. So how does it work?
Different Versions of the Stories for Young Readers
Well, if you hold the phone over a newspaper while the app is running a version of the stories which has been designed for youngsters will appear on the screen. As the promotional video says, “newspapers were not made for children”.
The video demonstrates the app’s power by showing a youngster picking up a newspaper which had been left lying on the table by their father. As they put the smartphone over it we see cartoon characters on the screen. They let the young reader know which parts are the most important and give some explanations of the text.
A statement from Dentsu said that the software would make the likes of the economy and politics “interesting reading” for kids. They also say that it will make the daily newspaper an “educational tool” for youngsters.
