Schools Should Not Be Paper Free
by Eric Park
N
owadays, digital documents are more common than printed documents, and many schools are plan-
ning to replace paper with digital devices for students. In my opinion, however, schools should not be
paper free. Paper prints are better than digital devices because printed documents are more memorable
and easy to read. Paper also has more of a real, emotional impact on people.
The most recent academic study done by Canada Post and the Canadian neuro-marketing firm True Impact
compared paper marketing with digital media marketing. The study found that paper allows people to un-
derstand data and content better.
Cognitive effort is the ability for people to understand and memorize things. The research shows that pa-
per requires people to use 21% less cognitive effort than what they would read on a digital screen. This
research shows students will be able to understand and memorize printed documents better than digital
documents.
Many other researches and experiments proved that paper is more memorable and inline with human na-
ture. There is no reason to change human nature, so going paper free could make students suffer. Going
paper free would cause force students to work harder for less results.
Bangor University and the branding agency Millward Brown conducted a study to observe the different ef-
fects between paper vs. digital. Physical material like paper feels more real to the brain. This effect connects
the content with memory, allowing the brain to engage with its spatial memory network. Paper also creates
more emotional processes and internal feelings with the brain. All brains, including the overworked brains
of students, are more comfortable in the world of paper.