From memory-boosts to channelling calm: why old-school pen and paper will always be best

Whether it’s for therapeutic purposes or simply to stay organised, Abi Jackson ponders the endless appeal of writing by hand.
From memory-boosts to channelling calm: why old-school pen and paper will always be best

Picture: Alamy/PA

If you’re still using a paper diary, always have a notebook nearby, and like your gratitude lists scribbled in ink, you don’t need research to tell you that writing stuff down is great.

Just recently though, a study led by neuroscientist Kuniyoshi Sakai at University of Tokyo found students who took notes by hand had better recall than those who used phones or tablets. Participants were quizzed an hour later, to see how much they could remember from their notes, with MRI used to measure their brain activity.

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