Paperboy: Origin, History and Duties

A paperboy is a youth or adolescent who delivers newspapers to people’s houses or workplaces using a regular route. They usually carry printed articles utilizing a bicycle. This was preferably the first job for adolescent children to get some money without asking their parents. The ideal time to deliver the paper was usually immediately after school or handing them early in the morning.

The newsboy is different from a paperboy in that a newsboy is usually more vocal and loud on the streets trying to sell newspapers to random people.

History of the Paperboy

The paperboy was a crucial figure in the spread of newsworthy articles in many countries all over the world. During the first years of the 20th century, there was a need for newspaper circulation due to the success printing companies were enjoying.

The New York Sun was the first printing firm to employ the paperboy. They placed an advert looking for vendors for their newspapers, which was answered by a ten-year-old. In 1883—this marked the begging of the long lineage of the paperboy for the proceeding years to come.

Duties of a Paperboy

The paperboy was responsible for collecting money from the customers, proper care to the newspaper on a bad weather day, and even making sure the papers were in order. Some clients preferred their papers always to be delivered on time; hence the paperboy had to make sure the article reached them in good condition and on time.

He was also to ensure the correct paper was delivered since some articles remained from the previous day and would be an embarrassment to the company. They had to sort the documents and ensure the correct one was delivered.

The paperboy was also responsible for a clean environment on their route, ensuring newspapers aren’t littered carelessly.

The Demise of the Paperboy

The paperboy role has dwindled over the years due to a number, including the change of lifestyle. Many printing firms opted to do away with afternoon copies of their papers, meaning only the morning papers were available. This gravely affected the schedule of paperboys since many preferred delivering the afternoon paper than the afternoon one.

The internet age has also affected the distribution of printed newspapers since most are now readily available online. This reduced the demand for published papers, thus reducing the need for paperboys.

Another factor can be down to the insecurity of the paperboys themselves.

Since most of them are children, their safety isn’t guaranteed since they dint6have adult supervision as they do their job. This has led to many parents preferring not to allow their children to enga6in the practice.

The paperboy has been an essential part of many communities for a long time. Their timely delivery of printed newspapers has been a blessing to many people since they were always informed of the current ongoing. Their time could be coming to an end due to various factors, but before it happens, they should be celebrated as heroes in the community.