Back to basics?

Even when we have all this technology around us – apps, smartphones, laptops and so many other gadgets, it is always the paper and pen/pencil we reach out to when we want to list down things to do or buy. Scribbling on the back of the envelope is what we do and not scribble on the smartphone.

And did you know there is actually a movement afoot as people yearn for simpler, technology-free times. There maybe thousands of apps around, yet no app quite gives you everything that you actually need. There are tons of apps which give you that comfort of making to-do lists or even help brain storming using lots of different apps. But seriously, when you actually sit down with a pen and paper, there is a sense of quiet which first engulfs you unlike the sense of urgency when using technology. It is only in the quietude that your brain works the best. The list on a paper feels more flexible, you can pull it out and focus better.

Social media shows many people have taken to cursive writing, coloring and using the humble pen and paper to help organise their lives or work on certain goals. While technology can certainly provide an edge for certain tasks, digital overload is a real and growing concern.

Science also says the same. Research by Princeton University and the University of California at Los Angeles, published in 2014, showed that the pen is indeed mightier than the keyboard. In three studies, researchers found that students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took notes longhand. Those who took written notes had a better understanding of the material and remembered more of it because they had to mentally process information rather than type it verbatim.

Now you have proof, if you needed it, to go back to the basics!