Taking time away from screens has never been so educational and aesthetically pleasing than with the latest eco-zines. Our multimedia designer Sophie Parsons shares her favourite magazines that inspire environmental change.
For most of us, the first thing we see and do in the morning is reach for our phones, with the initial goal of turning off your alarm turning into mindless scrolling through social media. According to digital detox advocates It’s Time to Log Off, UK adults are spending an average of 8 hours and 41 minutes a day on screens – more than ever before. Perhaps in reaction to this our craving for physical experiences, be it IRL communication or visiting our local library in search of a real life book, seems to be on the rise.
As a graduate of design school, print magazines – especially those that are independently produced – have always been the perfect antidote to hours spent working on my laptop. The very nature of a magazine encourages readers to dip lightly in and out, flicking through pages in a slow, easy manner that is not too dissimilar to the scrolling we do on our phones – the difference being that with print, it is slow and considered. Unlike mainstream publications, which focus broadly on women’s fashion or travel or celebrity culture, indie magazines and zines are embedded in niche sub-cultures.
2019 saw climate marches led by 16 year old Greta Thunberg, the rise of eco-anxiety and devastating global wildfires in the Amazon, California and across Australia. In response to this, creatives and activists have combined forces to design a cohort of indie magazines grounded in environmentalism and the climate crisis, with hopes of lessening our fears for the planet and better encouraging positive change. Here are some of our favourites for the new year.