Reasons Why We Need To Handwrite on Paper, More Often.
Writing encodes and leaves an impression on your brain. What we do about this fact, and harness it to our advantage is all that matters.
Let's try this simple test. Take a pen and a piece of paper. Write something for a few minutes. If your palm is feeling some discomfort after 5 minutes of writing, if you feel like your writing is out of touch, less easy, or less efficient than what it was in school or college, then this post could be of some interest to you. We'll discuss the reasons why we need to handwrite on paper more often.
We type. At home or work, we are seen on mobiles, laptops, or tabs, typing on gadgets. That’s how we mostly, share our views these days, digitally. Pretty much what I am doing right now. Typing.
A classic case where we succumb to the boon of digitalization. Easy sharing and receiving of information are now done within a matter of seconds through the internet. So why wouldn’t we?
If someone said why don’t you write a letter to your friend, instead of an email. We’d possibly think something is wrong with this person. Because we think digital.
We need to stop omitting everyday habits that serve us, like writing on paper. Here are some reasons why we need to handwrite on paper, more often. And this is what research says..
Research
Research indicates that an average person would not have written on paper for an average of 41 days.
According to a British survey, one in three respondents out of 2000 participants had not written anything by hand in the previous six months.
Recent Research in 2021, at a Japanese University
Research done by students of a Japanese university in 2021, shows that by writing on a physical paper, the brain’s activity is more enhanced. And that by writing with the hand, complex, tactile and spatial information is sent to the brain. This helps in the improvement of memory and focus.
Things tend to sink into our brains better when we write, intentionally.
Volunteers were asked to recall and write about aspects they earlier read about. During the writing exercise, volunteers were made to sit in a Magnetic resonance imaging scanner which showed more flow of blood to the brain areas showing more neuronal activity. This technique is referred to as functional MRI.
It showed that volunteers who used paper had more brain activity related to language, hippocampus connected to memory and navigation, and imaginary visualization. Hippocampus indicates the mind’s eye, activating the spatial details while writing.
Some may argue but I write with my stylus on my tab, wouldn't that count as writing with a pen? Let's find out.
Is the pen mightier than the stylus?
While people use the stylus to write, writing with a pen on paper provided more spatial information to the brain, than digital screens.
Paper is tangible. And this makes it easy for the brain to record what is being written.
The writing is also, specific to pressure that is applied with every stroke, mindfully written with concentration. And also, the number of times, one lifts the pen or pencil while writing on paper.
And this usually is not done while writing with a stylus. While technology is innovating the use of a stylus to provide more realistic experiences, the pen still wins as on date.
Each pen is unique to its user. Remember the times, we had our favorite pens or pencils which would write the way we wanted?
The same is not the case with a stylus. Instead, we adjust our writing to the stylus. The pressure, the position of holding it right, and the strokes are relative to the way a stylus is designed. We cannot use a stylus, like the way we use a pen or a pencil.
However, digital writing using a stylus by highlighting, underlining, drawing circle loops, and arrows can mimic spatial enrichment to improve memory. But this is not nearly the benefit derived from writing on paper. Researchers are seeing advanced styluses being made, to give the experience of a pen or pencil. More innovations are underway.
But what about the difference between using a pen and a keyboard?
Difference between the pen and keyboard
Such a dud subtitle you may wonder as if we don’t know the difference between the pen and the keyboard. But there is a deeper cognitive science between the pen and keyboard than what meets the eye.
Using a Pen
According to Edouard Gentaz, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Geneva, using a pen or pencil is much more complex.
a) One needs to determine how strong a hold needs to be to hold the pen
b) How much pressure or weight to put on the paper while writing or drawing,
c) How to keep the writing source/paper steady while writing,
d) How to write or draw in specified directions as guided by your mind’s eye,
e) Mind margins, gaps, and dimensions in a paper, using spatial abilities,
f) There is more graphic freedom.
Using a keyboard
Using a keyboard is less complex, comparatively, and not the same.
a) Skill involves typing and Pressing enter
b) There is no need to use a sense of direction while typing. It is in a line, pre-typing.
c) There is no aspect of positioning a pen or estimating the weight or pressure needed on a key. Punching in the keys requires lesser cognitive calibration and more force.
This is not to say, keyboard usage or technology is not good for us.
There are tons of benefits to using digital texting and information sharing. We can take the advantage of speed, precision, ease of use, and quick distribution methodologies with digital technology.
We cannot discount the innovation and technological uses of objects like the stylus, projectors, screens, e-readers, laptops, and the like. But the point is, while touchscreens and styluses mimic the experience of writing, it is not nearly the same.
Benefits of handwriting on paper
Research also, showed that in colleges, student notetakers who used laptops for taking notes did not show extensive cognitive processing. And the students who took notes using pen and paper used more cognitive abilities, relatively. Here is why.
In a study, students in the college were told to recall and give answers to a few questions. This was after they took notes on a laptop or notebook, based on their personal preference. It was observed that both groups performed relatively well. But the students who wrote notes by hand in notebooks performed better than others. They had enhanced focus and memory.
Here are the benefits and reasons why we need to handwrite on paper, more often-
Benefits
· Improves memory
· Boosts focus and creativity
· Optimizes learning
· Creates larger brain activity, causing more cognitive benefits
· Involves more than just the fingers, uses the creative parts of the brain
· Better eye-hand coordination
· Builds spatial and tactile abilities
· Better neuronal activity
· Builds a deeper connection between the conscious mind and subconscious thinking, with intentional writing
· Delays mental aging
· De-stresses and unclogs mental blocks
If you are ideating or getting creative- write with your hand.
Scientists especially suggest that when you want more out of your mind- then, write. This is why it is suggested that writers write with pens, and creative artists draw by hand. And for all other projects, if it involves higher thinking and ideating, then too write. Draft, list, journal it out, strike off what does not work, and reach your refined gems of thought works by writing with hand.
Enough reasons to handwrite on paper
We may not regress back to pen and paper entirely, with so much progressive technology at hand. Experts say there is no turning back. But that is not the point of discussion here. The objective of this article is to make sure writing with a hand does not wane. We must go back to that diary, journal, or notebook as often as possible and write.
Writing encodes and leaves an impression on your brain. It boosts the longevity of brainpower. What we do about this fact, and harness it to our advantage is all that matters.
Sources
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210319080820.htm
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/dec/16/cognitive-benefits-handwriting-decline-typing