As someone who has recently finished the infamous junior year, there are a few things that I can be proud to say I’ve learned: “Moby Dick” is not just about a whale; Coulomb’s Law is incredibly useful and doing things by hand is much more satisfying than spending hours behind a screen – where the average teen spends upwards of 8 hours on a day.

Allow me to contextualize. My sophomore year, with the exception of math, had been an entirely digital experience. Despite having been back in person for a year already, it seemed that the transitions made before and during COVID to move classrooms online were here to stay. From annotating short stories on Google Docs and lectures through Peardecks, to weekly EdPuzzles and working through hyperdocs, I probably could have tossed my backpack aside and just hauled my Chromebook around from class to class. 

Though I had grown used to this style of learning, I felt a disconnect between the material I was being taught and the information I was actually absorbing. The digital format made my work feel impersonal and unrewarding.

Then, with the emergence of software like ChatGPT, it became increasingly difficult to hold students accountable for original ideas and writing, and as a result, many teachers returned to in-person, physical work. Though not always cherished by the student body, this more traditional approach certainly blunted the cheating that could occur. 

As a junior, I found my once-empty binders filled with papers, packets and handouts; every class I took involved some sort of physical writing. While initially concerned with the amount of strain that my poor hand was going to be burdened by, I found that this method of learning was much more satisfying and effective. I saw education transforming into something far personal and satisfying.

As students attending a rigorous and demanding high school, many of us have become accustomed to multitasking and speeding through assignments. The quicker we can finish one task, the quicker we can move on to the next.

In an attempt to be as “productive” as possible I too would often rush through assignments, doing just the bare minimum to get the grades I wanted – and having entirely digital work made this easy. But my skimming was incredibly counterproductive in the long run. When it came to putting the information I was supposed to have learned to test, I’d have to review for long hours, meticulously going over details and ideas I barely remembered. 

As classes became harder I quickly shed that “least amount of effort” attitude. Though I had a larger quantity of more challenging material to work through I remained committed to doing things properly – and to no surprise, I benefited immensely from this more genuine approach. By putting in some initial effort I saved myself hours of review and I felt much more confident in my ability to remember and use the information I had learned.

My appreciation for this mentality was only amplified junior year. With far less digital work I was essentially forced to engage with the material; I had no tabs to switch to, no pings to distract me, no rabbit hole to spiral into. 

Hand work is difficult and requires a level of focus that digital work just fails to demand. Its slower pace ensures that we are more aware of what we are writing and forces us to be more critical and deliberate when taking notes. 

This improved comprehension phenomenon also extends itself to reading. Studies over the past three decades have supported the idea that reading from a physical source improves focus and retention of material. From the tactile stimulation of flipping a paper to the visual cues of left and right pages, printed material engages multiple senses and establishes stronger neural connections. 

In a world where 30-second videos dominate the media, taking the less attention-demanding route is tempting; but by embracing this kinesthetic approach to learning I was able to tackle the challenging courses of junior year with little turbulence.

But with all the positives of writing by hand there still exist some triumphs for the computer that should be addressed. After all, there is a reason why the 1 to 1 program – a movement to give every student a computer – has become so widespread. Digital education is more accessible, convenient, environmentally friendly and adaptable than the traditional pen and paper. Technology has widened the scope of education, allowing students with disabilities to have comparable opportunities to able bodied ones. Undeniably these attributes have and will continue to improve the quality of our education.

So let me be clear, I am in no way here to diminish the benefits of digitizing education, and I am all for finding ways to integrate technology into the classroom when it aids us; but the convenience of computers should not distract us from the true goal at hand: learning. 

Learning isn’t achieved when we copy and paste text or use ChatGPT. Learning is something you have to actively participate in; something you have to want; something you have to work for; something that can’t be rushed. 

While technology certainly has its perks, the media-multitasking that comes with it is not one of them. It has a tendency to dilute the attention we give to certain tasks and as a result, diminish the quality of their completion. We need to slow down and allow ourselves ample time to be thorough with our work, and embracing pen and paper is a good way to start.

A harmony can exist between old and new ways, but it requires us to recognize the advantages of both. So I’d encourage everyone not to grumble the next time handwritten work is assigned, but to appreciate all the benefits that you will experience as a result of your effort.