In praise of paper

Large rolls of paper, waiting to be used.

“Research shows that when we read words on paper, it reduces our stress levels by nearly 70 percent. We also read more carefully than on tablets or laptops.” — Margaret Heffernan

"Students’ understanding, comprehension, and retention were higher when reading print than when reading the same text on a screen or even listening to or viewing the material. Students who read the material in print were also more successful at identifying main ideas, recalling specific details, correctly remembering sequencing, and completing abstract tasks like drawing inferences." Naomi Baron

"We can't overestimate the value of computers. Yes, they are great for playing games and forwarding funny emails, but real business is done on paper. Okay?" Michael Scott- The Office

Is paper on its way out? It's sure seemed so in the last few decades. As computers get more powerful, digital information is replacing printed information in many areas. Newspapers are all transitioning into the digital space, and while a few print editions still exist, they continue in a slow decline. Tickets are almost all digital today, requiring a smart phone and internet connection. Printed tickets are only available by special request. Paper currency is used and accepted less and less, as more retailers go to digital only shopping. And many magazines have gone out of business or switched over to entirely digital presences, though the baby boomers are still holding onto some magazine subscriptions.

Even the mighty book is threatened by two foes- the e-book that requires a special digital reader, or the audiobook, that can be listened to while doing other things. Printing a paper edition of a 300 page book can be expensive and time-consuming, and printing large quantities of them exposes publishers to the risk that with slow sales their books will sit around in warehouses or never get sold. Plus they require a physical bookstore with its own costs and overhead. Digital books, however, are available anywhere, anytime and are much cheaper to produce.

Paper products can definitely have some drawbacks, mainly that they could cost more, need to be stored, filed and retrieved, and are only available in one location, unless you lug them around with you. But still, I find paper preferable for three main reasons:

1- Paper is physical, permanent, and unchanging. It doesn't require electricity to read, or an internet connection to download. Everything that you need is right there. This helps with historical documentation and memories, because digital information is always evolving and changing, and not always reliable. Reading a printed book is easier on the brain than trying to read an e-book, and audiobooks are great if there are no distractions, but there are always distractions.

I've saved newspaper headlines from the last fifty years, and they hold historical significance for me as a snapshot in time. I also saved physical tickets to shows or sporting events that were memorable- something impossible to do today. And I still like to pay in cash for small purchases, especially with local stores, because credit card swipe fees rob retailers of a significant part of their net profits.

Important paperwork, like tax returns, wills, contracts, and loan agreements are still mostly kept on paper with a digital backup. Signing your name to a piece of paper feels like a real commitment, while clicking a box online is easily forgotten. (And the details and exclusions can be hard to read or locate). "Get it in writing" is still good advice, especially because digital records can be lost or corrupted.

2- Reading things on paper, as well as writing things down on paper, triggers stronger and deeper learning in the brain. People have to concentrate in order to absorb new information, which is one reason why schools and universities prefer printed textbooks. Most schools supplement print with digital, but research studies show that printed material is retained and understood better. (See the Naomi Barron quote above).

This makes sense because attention spans around computers and cell phones can be very short. The vast amount of temptation in any device is a constant distraction for someone trying to absorb new information. That, plus the tendency to multi-task on digital makes deep learning almost impossible. With a printed book, there is only the information at hand and distractions, while always a problem, are much less powerful.

3- Printed materials don't spy on you. When you read something in print, no one knows who you are, what you're reading, or if you ever finished the entire thing. That's not true with digital information. Every web page that people click on keeps tabs on everything about the interaction, and adds it to the enormous database on each of us and our behaviors.

Clearing your search history doesn't matter, because other companies and websites can still retain the data.

Only printed materials offer the best reading privacy. The only digital document that might be safe is the portable data file (PDF), which is a static and unchanging file unlike most other digital information. But even then, sites can track when these files are downloaded, and there are way to install trackers if they are read on a device with internet access.

I grew up with only printed materials, so I'm sure that I'm a bit biased towards paper products. For nearly 2,000 years since paper was invented in China, it has been the main source of information and history for civilizations. The Declaration of Independence was written on paper and signed, and that's how we can know it really existed. (You can still see it at the National Archives.) Digital information comes and goes so quickly that web pages can get out of date within minutes of being published.

In our fast-moving information economy, digital makes sense. It's available everywhere, anytime, and keep up with the fast pace of events. I still trust printed information just a bit better if only because it's more costly to put something down on paper. That said, bad information can rise up with either method, as can good information.

In some science fiction movies, everything that's important is carried around in some sort of device. But what if that device breaks? Or is hacked? Do we cease to exist? Having a paper birth certificate somehow makes me happy that there's at least some proof somewhere that I existed. Paper just seems more real to me in this age where we seem to question reality itself.

P.S.- I'd like to give a shout-out to the local libraries. While libraries now contain all sorts of digital books and magazines, they also provide so many people with free books. I use mine regularly. I encourage everyone to utilize theirs if one is available. Books can raise awareness and make us better, and that's always a good thing.