<p>I recently sat down with&nbsp;<a href="https://carlpullein.com/?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Carl Pullein</a>, a productivity consultant and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Carl_Pullein?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTuber</a> who has spent over a decade helping people get organized. Carl has been using Todoist for twelve years, Evernote for sixteen, and last year he ran a full-year experiment with a Franklin Planner. We talked about why people keep switching tools, why paper still matters, and why convenience might not be as good for us as we think.</p><br><p>What came out of the conversation surprised me. Not because the ideas were new, but because they made so much sense - and because science keeps confirming what a simple notebook already knew.</p><br><p>Here is what I learned.</p><br><p>---------</p><p><br></p><h2>Do Your Own Research</h2><p>Here are peer-reviewed studies and resources on handwriting, cognition, and the topics discussed in this article, grouped by theme.</p><p><br></p><h3>Handwriting, Memory, and Brain Activation</h3><ul><li>Umejima, K. et al. (2021). "Paper Notebooks vs. Mobile Devices: Brain Activation Differences During Memory Retrieval."&nbsp;<em>Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience</em>, 15, 634158.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.634158</a></li><li>Mueller, P. A. &amp; Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). "The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking."&nbsp;<em>Psychological Science</em>, 25(6), 1159-1168.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581</a></li><li>Van der Weel, F. R. &amp; Van der Meer, A. L. H. (2023). "Handwriting but Not Typewriting Leads to Widespread Brain Connectivity: A High-Density EEG Study with Implications for the Classroom."&nbsp;<em>Frontiers in Psychology</em>, 14, 1219945.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945</a></li><li>Ihara, A. S. et al. (2021). "Advantage of Handwriting Over Typing on Learning Words: Evidence From an N400 Event-Related Potential Index."&nbsp;<em>Frontiers in Human Neuroscience</em>, 15, 679191.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.679191?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.679191</a></li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Handwriting and Learning in Children</h3><ul><li>Longcamp, M. et al. (2008). "Learning Through Hand- or Typewriting Influences Visual Recognition of New Graphic Shapes."&nbsp;<em>Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience</em>, 20(5), 802-815.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20504?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20504</a></li><li>Marano, G. et al. (2025). "The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing."&nbsp;<em>Life</em>, 15(3), 345.&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/life15030345?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/life15030345</a></li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Handwriting and Spelling in Schools</h3><ul><li>Scientific Reports (2025). "Comparing the Effects of Typing and Handwriting on Spelling Performance in School."&nbsp;<em>Nature Scientific Reports</em>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-03369-x?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-03369-x</a></li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Digital Impermanence and Preservation</h3><ul><li>Library of Congress Digital Preservation resources:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.digitalpreservation.gov/?ref=usemorepaper.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.digitalpreservation.gov</a></li></ul><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>