But maybe writing with pen and paper isn’t dead after all.

Maybe it’s actually better.

Everything from lecture notes to shopping lists is typed.

person writing with a pen while their phone is in front of them

Tom Rogerson / Unsplash

We’re so accustomed to typing that writing on paper can even become painful after a few hundred words.

But handwriting confers benefits, both physical and psychological.

And if you’re taking lecture or meeting notes, you’d do well to switch to a pencil.

Stylus used on tablet covered by screen protector

Paperlike

Or even an Apple Pencil.

“Keyboarding is okay if you use proper posture and take mini-breaks.

I recommend alternating between keyboarding and handwriting to avoid repetitive stress injuries.”

Using Apple Pencil on iPad for notes and illustrations

Apple

Lets Get Physical

The most obvious difference between pen and keyboard is in the tools you use.

But there are more subtle physical differences.

One is the orientation of your hands and wrists.

Paperlike

Keyboards also require repetitive twitch movement, whereas the pen is more of a continuous workout.

Theres some overlap, of course, but by switching between the two methods, you may avoid injury.

And you might also consider using an angled board to make writing easier,says Australias RSI ACT.

When typing, we tend to transcribe the lecture verbatim or as close as we can manage.

“I recommend alternating between keyboarding and handwriting to avoid repetitive stress injuries.”

There are other benefits to pen and paper, too.

And experienced pen users will do this without thinking.

It’s a way of naturally structuring your notes, one which automatically matches how you think.

I personally choose to handwrite because they are artful and prefer aesthetics.

Writing by hand is also believed to avoid distractions," handwriting and speech trainerAmanda Greentold Lifewire via email.

With a keyboard, you’re limited to the characters in the typeface, with no doodles.

A mind map is more flexible, but even then, you’re more limited.

The Apple Pencil

In physical terms, the Apple Pencil shares all these benefitswith some catches.

This is called palm rejection, and it’s imperfect at best.

And who knows, you might even find it better.